Every Breath You Take
by NerdyPinupCrystal
Summary: Iris has moved to Hell's kitchen with only a backpack and a past she struggles to leave behind. Will a budding romance with the kind and enigmatic lawyer next door help her move on? Or will the monster from her past find her and destroy them both? Warning: This story contains adult content including descriptions of spousal abuse and violence.
1. A New Start

***Peaks out from hiding place* Heeeey guys. I'm so so so sorry for not posting anything in FOREVER! Real life constantly got in the way, and I just lost inspiration to write anything. For those that have been following ****_Dangerous Game_****, if you guys are still there, I promise I will get back to it eventually, I just don't know when. I'm super sorry! But moving on, I finally started writing again, and I got really inspired by the Netflix series ****_Daredevil_****. Charlie Cox is my dream guy *heart eyes* The show and the main character himself gave me so many ideas and this one was just dying to come alive! I hope you enjoy this story, it's canon divergent, so you don't HAVE to have followed the show in order to know what's happening, but it helps to know the characters. This was also heavily inspired by the movie ****_Sleeping with the Enemy_****, there will be dark themes of violence including spousal abuse, so please refrain from reading if this sort of thing isn't your cup of tea. Enough of my rambling, on with the story!**

**Chapter 1: A New Start**

As my new landlord walked out of my apartment after handing me the keys, I took what felt like the first real breath I've had in a long time. I took a moment to truly observe the surroundings of my new apartment. It's surprisingly very spacious for the cheap rent I have to pay. Already furnished too. One less thing to worry about. I didn't even mind the mismatched second hand furniture. In fact, I found it appealing and refreshing after years of everything having to be in perfect, precise order.

_He_ would hate this place.

**_No, Li- _****Iris****_. Don't think about him. You're thousands of miles away from him now. He has no idea. He can't control you anymore. He'll never find you here, you're safe._**

I pushed the nagging thoughts aside as I explore my apartment. I can see the sun beginning to set, the lights from the billboard across the street becoming more prominent, no wonder the apartment is so cheap. I turned towards the doorway on my left leading to what I assume to be the bedroom.

Sure enough, in the center of the room lied a queen sized bed with a mattress that was passable, but had definitely seen better days. No sheets or bedspread. I didn't have to look in the bathroom behind me to know that there were no towels.

**_Looks like I'll have to go shopping._**

The sudden rumbling of my stomach reminded me that I would need to get more than just linens on my shopping trip. Guess I can't put it off till tomorrow like I was planning on doing after all.

I entered the bathroom and checked myself in the mirror for the first time since I arrived in the city. The dark circles under my eyes were clear as day showing the exhaustion from the three day bus ride among other things. My blue eyes showing more years than my actual age, yet the dull lifelessness behind them is slowly but surely starting to fade away into the light glow they used to possess. The bruise at my temple and the cut on my bottom lip were still visible on my fair skin, but will soon fade away just like the others. Last thing I looked over was my hair that now sat above my shoulders. I've never had it this short before. I'm amazed at how straight I had managed to cut it considering how much of a rush I was in. **_I need to get some hair dye while I'm out,_** I thought to myself as I looked at my blonde locks. Can never be too careful.

With my mental shopping list in place, I walked out of the bathroom and made my way through the living room to grab the keys and backpack I had set on the counter. I took one more look at my new home and walked out the door.

It's a foreign feeling to call this strange new place my home now. Yet at the same time, it feels right. It's the first thing to truly call my own. The house I had lived in before was anything but _Home_. It was nothing but a gilded Cage; my own personal hell that I stayed trapped in long enough. My prison that I escaped.

I was too lost in my thoughts to pay attention to my surroundings, that I was too late to stop from bumping into what felt like a wall of pure muscle. I stumbled backing away from the stranger, nearly tripping over my own feet.

"Oh, excuse me," I started to say, only to stop dead in my tracks when I finally looked at the dark haired man wearing a grey suit, his back facing me as he's leaning down to pick up a white cane- oh fuck my life, he's _blind_!

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed as I rushed to pick up his cane for him. "I'm so so sorry, sir, that was all my fault! I wasn't watching where I was going. I didn't mean to steamroll into you and make you drop your cane, oh God I'm so going to Hell." I rambled like an idiot as I handed him his cane back.

The sound of his laughter stopped me from embarrassing myself even further with my rambling. I took a moment to finally see his face and my breath stuck in my throat.

To say he was gorgeous would be the understatement of the century. His height towered over my 5'2 frame, his dark hair looked so soft, my fingers tingled with the need to touch it. His eyes were covered by the dark red lenses of his sunglasses, I was curious to see what color they were. The most breathtaking thing of all was his smile that seemed to light up his entire face, causing my heart to practically beat out of my chest.

I quickly snapped out of my trance to listen to the words coming from his perfect full red lips, "It's perfectly alright, miss. I managed to survive unscathed." He joked. Oh God, his deep voice was rich and smooth like caramel. Focus, damn it!

"Well, all the same, I'm sorry. My brain was miles away." I replied in a nervous giggle. "Won't happen again, I promise."

"I'll have to have that in writing then. Knocking down a blind man is a very serious offense, and documented evidence holds up well in court." He stated with a dry tone and a smirk on his perfect face.

I had no idea how the hell to respond to that. I'm so embarrassed and on edge, I can't tell if he's joking or not.

He showed mercy upon me after I was rendered speechless for too long. "I'm kidding," he chuckled, "Sorry, my blind lawyer jokes tend to catch people off guard."

I let out a sigh of relief and allowed myself to laugh at the situation.

"A lawyer, huh? I guess I better stay on your good side or you _will_ sue me." I replied jokingly.

He was quick to respond, "Actually for safety reasons, you should probably stay on _your_ side to avoid a lawsuit."

Oh this guy was cheeky, I couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, duly noted."

"You just moved in, right?" He asked me with interest.

"Yup, near the end of the hall." I gestured behind me.

He nodded in approval, "I guess that makes us neighbors then," he held his hand out towards me, "Matt Murdock, I live next door to you."

I reached out to his waiting hand, my pulse racing as his hand grasped mine in a firm yet gentle handshake. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Murdock,"

"Please, call me Matt. 'Mr. Murdock' makes me feel old." He smiled.

"Nice to meet you, _Matt_." I replied.

"And do I get to know the name of my would-be assailant?" He asked in jest.

I let out a chuckles reply, "I guess so. My name's Li-"

**_No, you idiot!_**

I cleared my throat as my heart practically jumped in it. Matt tilted his head in either concern or suspicion, I couldn't tell which.

"_Iris_. My name's Iris."

Matt looked skeptical as he nodded and smiled, "Nice to meet you, Iris."

The slip up sobered me up instantly. Reminding me of my situation. Matt has me at ease so quickly and easily, I had let my guard down too much. I was too comfortable around this guy, and that'll make me too sloppy! What if I slip up again? I could accidentally give away some things that are meant to stay buried.

My palms were sweating, my heart racing for a whole other reason. I had to abort this conversation _now_.

"Well, I've taken up enough of your time, Matt. It was very nice to meet you, sorry again for bumping into you. Have a good night, gotta go, byeeee!" I spat out as I speed walked to the stairwell, not giving him a chance to speak.

**_Goddamnit. That could've gone better. _**How could I be so careless? I need to be on my guard at all times and not draw too much attention to myself, it's not safe enough to be this comfortable yet!

**_Stay focused Iris. You can't lose your head over the first guy you meet just because he's attractive and seems nice. You've put yourself through that before and look where it got you. Be smart._**

With that mindset back in place, I exited the apartment building to take care of my shopping, hoping to keep Matt Murdock off my mind.

**Hope you guys liked the first chapter! Until next time!**

Images on Tumblr


	2. A New Me

**Chapter 2: A New Me  
**  
The walk to the nearest grocery store was thankfully not as long as I anticipated, since there was a Walgreens a few blocks down. Not exactly ideal for grocery shopping, but at least they carried some kind of food at all, plus I was able to get some hair dye, plus essentials for the bathroom and kitchen that the store carried, saved me an extra trip. There was a small linen store not too far from there where I was able to get a cheap comforter set, a couple of pillows and a set of towels. Thank god I brought my backpack, otherwise I'd have a hell of a time carrying all this stuff. Not wanting to add to my load, I decided to make my way home.

It was already dark by the time I reached the familiar apartment building. I've heard Hell's Kitchen can be pretty dangerous at night, but I guess the same can be said for New York in general. Either way, I had no intention of staying out longer than I needed to. I've managed to escape one Hell, no way do I want to push my luck in a city that literally has the word "Hell" in its name.

As I crossed the street to the building's entrance, I couldn't help but have the nagging feeling that I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up, my breath stuck in my throat as I checked my surroundings. Aside from a few people walking by, there was no sign of anyone that looked suspicious as far as I knew. Then suddenly I heard a noise above my head. I quickly turned and looked up towards the roof of my apartment building. It was hard to tell for sure, but I could've sworn I saw a dark figure move from the roof. I blinked for a second, and it was gone.

_**Pull yourself together, girl. You're just being paranoid. It's all in your head. Your brain is just hanging on to those old ghosts you've left behind. It's not him, he couldn't possibly know you were here. You're free from him. You're safe. **_

My pep talk (that I didn't realize I had said out loud) snapped me out of my paranoia...a little anyway, and I made my way inside the building.

As I walked down the hall, I slowed to a stop, thinking about my literal run-in with my new neighbor. I feel like such a jackass for how I acted earlier. I can't imagine what he thinks of me.

I was tempted to knock on his door to apologize for my weird and rude behavior. But I didn't. Perhaps it's for the best. If my behavior put him off, then that means he'll stay away. It would be a terrible idea for me to get close to this guy, or anyone for that matter. It doesn't feel safe enough for me to get that comfortable and I have no right dragging anybody else into my problems. If my experience has taught me anything, it's that I only have myself, I can only trust myself. I'm better off alone.

With that mindset in place, I made my way into my apartment and locked the door. I set my stuff down, grabbed the boxed dye and started the process of changing my hair.

As the dye was processing, I put away my groceries and heated up my frozen dinner. I practically inhaled my dinner in no time, I didn't realize how hungry I was; so I grabbed my new linens and headed for the bedroom.

By the time I had made my bed and hung the towels up in the bathroom, it was time to hop in the shower and rinse the dye. It was the first shower I'd had in days; it was such a refreshing feeling, and the water was so soothing on the aches and bruise of my body, I didn't shut it off until the hot water ran cold.

As I towel dried my hair that was first light blonde, now a vibrant shade of red, I looked over where my new hand towels were hanging.

They weren't hanging evenly.

My first instinct was to quickly adjust the towels so they were hanging at perfectly even length. As I laid a hand on one of the towels, my mind went back to an earlier time...

* * *

_I was sitting on our patio overlooking the beach in the early morning when I heard footsteps approaching behind me. I turned to look up at the familiar cold blue eyes staring into mine as his tall intimidating frame towered over me, casting a looming shadow._

"_Come with me." He calmly requested as he held out his hand that easily dwarfed mine, leaving me no other option but to take it._

_He guided me through the house, the silence deafening._

"_Isn't it a little early for this?" I asked in a nervous giggle, assuming he was leading me to the bedroom._

_Instead of the bedroom, however, our journey stopped in our bathroom. He let go of my hand as he stepped further into the bathroom, his back stiff straight facing me with his hands crossed, looking militant like a drill Sergeant._

"_Is everything as it should be in here?" He asked expectantly, giving me a quick second to realize my mistake._"_I don't know why I forgot." I replied, my heart racing in panic as I rushed to adjust the hand towels on the rack so they can hang evenly as they're supposed to._

_He was still tense as he looked at me through the reflection in the mirror. "That's alright, Princess," he responded with a tight smile, "That's why we have to remind ourselves every day."_

"_Thank you." I replied softly as I stood obediently with my eyes towards the floor, waiting for further instructions from him. He spared me a glance and nodded, implying I was dismissed. I exited the bathroom, thankful that my mistake didn't him too angry this time. _

* * *

I snapped out of my memory and took a breath.

He's not here. It's okay. You're safe.

With that moment of clarity, I reached for the towels and shuffled them around until they were completely unkempt. They were messy, lopsided, and twisted up, and it felt so satisfying! I let out a giggle as I looked at my work. It wasn't until that moment that it really began to sink in.

I was free.

I could feel the weight lifting off my shoulders from this revelation. I felt like I could really breathe again. I checked myself in the mirror again to observe my new look. I actually loved the red. I thought I would miss my long blonde hair, and I suppose part of me will, but my new hair has immediately become my new favorite look. Cutting it had already relieved part of the heavy burden weighing down on me, changing color relieved it even more. The expression "New hair, new me" couldn't be any more true.

After double and triple checking the locks on my door, I fell asleep in my new bed feeling better than I've felt in a long time. Outside in the city may be still hard for me, but in my own little world of solitude, in my new home, I was safe.

I fell into a deep, blissful sleep; unaware of a familiar dark shadow on the roof of the building next door, facing my window as he kept a curious and protective watch over me.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Be sure to review and favorite! *kiss noise***


	3. A New Day

**Chapter 3: A New Day**

I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the new day.

I sat up to stretch and I could feel the familiar pain of the angry bruises that painted my body. The pain was starting to dull down bit by bit each day; it'll be reduced to an uncomfortable but far less painful feeling in a couple more days or so. The bruises he inflicted always lingered longer.

I looked at my body in the mirror as I was getting dressed for the day. The bruise that covered most of my stomach was the worst of the ones I currently had. The shade still an angry purple, had shown no signs of fading yet. He had kicked me harder than I thought, I could still feel the impact of his foot slamming into my stomach all three times. That one will definitely take at least another week to heal.

I turned to look at the rest of my body; the bruises on my back and right shoulder still visible, but thankfully fading away. The bruise at my left temple had faded slightly more since yesterday, my hair could easily hide it. The angry cut on my lip, however still felt fresh despite it being four days old now; that one I can't hide easily. Makeup wouldn't be enough to cover it, I'll just have to hope people don't care enough to notice or at least not ask about it.

_**You're okay, Iris. These wounds will fade away like they always do. He'll never lay a hand on you again. Soon those bruises and the monster that inflicted them will be nothing but a bad dream. You survived. You're safe.  
**_  
I quickly got dressed to cover up the ugly marks on my body, and continued getting ready for the day.

I looked through my backpack for the stack of money I kept hidden. I still had over $3,000 left, which would keep me comfortable for only a short while, but it wasn't going to last forever.

I was going to have to look for a job.

The thought of it made me anxious. Anxious that the fake identification papers I had to sneak off to get (and got severely punished as a result) wouldn't work. Anxious that not having a resume would ruin any chances of getting a job. Anxious that people would see through the lie. Anxious that he would somehow be in my place of work and see me.

I was stressing myself out over these "what if's". I took a deep breath, and decided to push the job hunt for a later time and go shopping for food at a real grocery store instead. I also needed a phone, and some more essentials for home. But first, find the nearest coffee shop for some breakfast. With that plan in place, I grabbed my backpack to head out the door.

I found a little coffee shop close by where I was able to get a large chai latte and two blueberry muffins. I had already inhaled the first muffin by the time I got to the door, I was so damn hungry.

When I was about to open the door to exit, someone was opening it to get in. I had stopped just in time to avoid crashing into the person entering the coffee shop.

"Excuse me," I said as I held the door open for the person as I kept my eyes on my drink to make sure it would avoid being spilled.

I looked up when I heard a familiar voice chuckle, "I'm glad you managed to avoid a second assault this time, neighbor."

I couldn't help but laugh at how fate worked. "Mr. Murdock! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get in my way on purpose." I teased as I opened the door wider to allow him in.

"Well business has been slow, so I try to grab potential cases wherever I can get them. And I'm pretty sure I told you to call me Matt, Iris." He replied with a teasing smile that lit up his beautiful face.

_**Down, girl. Don't let him get you all flustered again, no matter how sexy he looks in that grey suit of his.**_

"What's this I'm hearing about cases, don't you be holding out on me, Matthew!" A new male voice chimed in, interrupting my thoughts, causing me to tense up.

Matt let out a laugh as he turned toward the voice in question. "Sorry, Foggy. Just an inside joke between neighbors."

The blonde gentleman the voice belonged to frowned as he stood next to Matt. "Well now I feel left out of the loop. How _dare_ you give me false hope?" He dramatically shook his fist at Matt.

Matt and I let out a laugh, his friend instantly making me feel at ease. Matt turned toward me to make the introductions, "Foggy, this lovely lady is my next door neighbor Iris..." he trailed off, not knowing my last name.

"Roberts." I replied, thankful I actually remembered the new last name I had.

"Iris Roberts." Matt finished, with a hint of skepticism in his voice. He turned toward Foggy, "And this is-"

"Foggy Nelson, of _Nelson & Murdock_," Foggy cut in, making a silly attempt at being suave as he reached for my hand, "Law partner and much better looking best friend to this putz here." He gestured his thumb toward Matt, who was practically rolling his eyes at his best friend.

"And it is a pleasure to meet you, Iris." He finished with a brief kiss on my hand and a sweet smile on his slightly rounder face.

I let out a giggle at his silliness. Foggy was as endearing as a teddy bear, I couldn't help but like him already. "And it's most certainly a pleasure to meet you as well, Foggy." I curtsied, joining in on his silliness as well.

Foggy chuckled and turned to Matt, "She just did a little curtsy. It was adorable."

Matt smiles towards me, "I bet it was." It felt as if his eyes were piercing through me, even though he couldn't see. I couldn't control the blush coloring my cheeks.

Foggy looked toward me again only for his smile to fall into a frown as he focused on my face, "Oh wow, are you okay?" He asked with concern.

I frowned in confusion, "What do you mean?"

He shook his head as he softly replied, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude or to pry, but that's a pretty nasty cut on your lip."

My heart stopped. My face changed from a flushed red to pale white. How could I have thought that nobody would notice?

_**Because Matt and Foggy are the first real decent people you've met, and are obviously the kind of people who are going to ask questions.**_

My heart was beating so fast, I could hear the rhythm in my ears, and I thought the entire coffee shop could too. Matt's face tightened into a puzzled frown as he turned towards me.

"Uh..well I...I..." I was stuttering. I was panicking, I had to leave. "It's nothing! I'm just a clumsy clod. Matt can testify to that," I gestured to Matt who looked concerned and almost angry. Whether at me or something else, I had no idea.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a lot to do today," I said in a rush as I was inching closer and closer towards the door. Both gentlemen looking at me in bewilderment. "It was nice seeing you, Matt. Foggy, it was great to meet you. Bye!" I bolted out the door without so much as a backwards glance.

* * *

_Matt and Foggy_

The two friends were frowning as Iris all but ran away from the coffee shop.

Foggy cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean to spook her like that. It just shocked me, I guess."

Matt's teeth clenched, his jaw tight with tension and aggravation as he asked, "How bad was it?"

"How bad was..." Foggy trailed off.

"The _cut_, Foggy," Matt spat out, his jaw clenching even tighter as he held a firm grip on his cane, "How bad was it?"

Foggy sighed, "Pretty fucking bad, Matt. Like she fell into someone's _fist_ instead of a piece of furniture."

Matt's grip on his cane tightened even further as he tried to control is growing anger. He could sense Foggy hesitating. "What is it, Foggy?"

His friend paused for a moment before replying, "I don't know for sure, but it looked like she had a bruise on the temple of her left eye as well."

_Snap!_

Matt snapped out of his thoughts as he held the loose piece of his now broken cane.

"Oh shit, Matt!" Foggy exclaimed as he looked at his friend with concern and unease.

"I have more at home." Matt stated, though he couldn't care less about the cane.

Foggy left Matt alone with his thoughts as he went to place their order. He returned with two coffees.

"Do you think she's in trouble?" Foggy asked, feeling concern for the petite redhead that's captured his best friend's attention.

"I think so. I don't know for sure what's going on with her," Matt replied as he stood still, "staring" at the spot Iris stood at. "But I'm going to find out. And if she is, then whoever's giving her trouble is going to have to answer to me."

* * *

_**Goddamn you suck at this! Stop folding under pressure like origami every time you get caught off guard!  
**_  
I felt so stupid for slipping up again; in front of Matt and his friend no less! I didn't understand why I lost my composure in front of Matt so easily. I guess because it felt like he could see right through me despite having no sight. I felt so at ease and comfortable around him, I didn't want to lie to him. I didn't want him to know the truth either though. I just needed to stop engaging in conversations with him. _**Easier said than done, apparently. **_

But I didn't have time to dwell on that any further. I needed to look for a job. I hadn't worked in years, I couldn't help but worry that my lack of work experience would really hinder me...

My lack of experience wasn't the _only_ thing that hindered me. It was also "we're not hiring at this time", "we've already accepted another candidate", and also the fact that some establishments were too overwhelming for me to even try to apply. Waitressing was definitely a no. Customers can be absolutely horrible and downright abusive to the servers, and my skin just wasn't thick enough for that; not after just escaping from my own abusive setting.

It was mid-afternoon when I stumbled upon a cute little bakery with a pastel pink exterior on the corner just a couple streets away from my apartment. I was exhausted and frustrated from the disappointing job hunt, eating my feelings sounded really therapeutic right then and there.

I heard a bell chime as I opened the door to the bakery, followed by the catchy melody of Bobby Darin's "_Beyond the Sea"_. It was even cuter on the inside! It was tiny and intimate with a pink and teal color scheme and a sweet vintage vibe. Beautiful assortments of cupcakes, pastries, donuts, and French macarons were displayed under the glass casing. My mouth was watering and my stomach was rumbling just looking at them.

A sweet woman's voice snapped me out of my hunger stupor, "Hi! Welcome to _Sweet Heaven_. How may I help you?"

I gazed at the tall, beautiful brunette the voice belonged to. She was statuesque with a slender but curvy frame in a baby pink dress with a white frilly apron. She had long dark hair hanging in loose vintage waves, kind grey eyes, and a sweet smile painted in red lipstick.

"Hi, this is my first time here." I replied with a tired smile, "Your bakery is so beautiful and everything looks delicious! What would you recommend to someone who's had a rough day and just wants to eat their feelings?"

The woman giggled in reply, "Well first of all, thank you! It took a lot of work to make my baby look the way I imagined." She winked. "Second, I would recommend the red velvet macaron, the white chocolate raspberry truffle cupcake, the sea salt caramel cronut, and/or the bacon maple cupcake."

_**Good God I'm going to get so fat.**_

My mouth watered with each item she mentioned, "You know what? I'll take all four of those. And a large hot chocolate, please. I'm going to be here for a while."

I paid for my treats and took a seat at one of the three small tables off to the side. I gazed out the window, lost in my thoughts as I waited for my cocoa. It didn't take long for the kind baker to approach my table carrying a silver tray topped with the desserts and hot cocoa, beautifully set up like it was Afternoon Tea. I noticed the tray had a second helping of each item including the cocoa.

"Here you go, sweetie." The sweet woman stated as she took a seat across from me. "Do you mind if I join you? It's a slow day today and you got me craving for these myself." She let out a giggle.

I grinned, "Thank you, I'd love the company."

Her smile brightened, "Wonderful! I'm Lucy, proud owner of this little paradise." She introduced herself, holding out her hand.

I grasped her hand in mine as I replied, "I'm Iris. It's so lovely to meet you. You have a beautiful bakery!"

Lucy's face glowed with pride, "Thank you so much! It took a long time to get this baby off the ground, but it was all worth it."

I smiled softly, feeling insecure. Oh how I envied this woman and her ambition. I wished I had accomplished something this big.

She must have noticed my discouraged thoughts as she gently asked, "I don't mean to pry, but are you okay? You mentioned wanting to eat your feelings, so I'm guessing you're having a pretty bad day."

The last I wanted was to burden anyone with my problems, hence the sorry attempt at isolation, plus it's been a long time since I was allowed to talk to anyone. But this woman seemed so genuinely sweet, and I could really use a friend.

"Yeah," I sighed, "it's been a pretty terrible day."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lucy asked with sympathy, "I'm a very good listener."

I smiled as I replied, "Well I just moved here. I'm trying to start over, but I need a job. I've gone to so many different jobs to apply and have been rejected by all of them. I thought of waitressing, but I can't handle the overwhelming craziness that comes with the job. I have hardly any job experience, and I just feel like I'll fall into another black hole after I _just_ crawled out of one!" I finished without taking a breath, breaking down in frustration.

It was silent in the tiny bakery and I started to panic. Damn it, I've said too much. I thought for sure Lucy was going to ask me to leave.

She surprised me with her response though, "Do you have any food allergies?"

My eyebrows furrowed from being thrown off by the random question. "I'm allergic to cranberry juice, but that's it..."

Lucy nodded in understanding, "Have you ever baked from scratch before?"

My eyes widened as I started to get what was happening. "Yeah, all the time. Not professionally, though. I mean I'm decent, but I don't have a culinary degree or anything like that."

She just smiled, "That's not a problem at all." Lucy reassured me as she gently grabbed onto my hand, "Iris, my dear, your timing couldn't be more perfect! My boyfriend was working the bakery with me, but he's now my _ex_-boyfriend. So it's just me operating this place all by myself. I am in serious need of a co-Captain for this ship. What do you say?"

I was stunned. This was honestly the most unconventional and unexpected job offer I'd ever had. "Lucy, are you sure you want to hire me? I don't know the first thing about working in a bakery. I don't think I'm qualified." I replied, not wanting to turn down the offer, but just being as honest as I could.

Lucy wasn't the least bothered. "Don't you worry about that. We'll set you up to get your food handlers card to please the health inspector on their occasional visits, I'll take you on as my baking apprentice and train you every step of the way. Please say yes." She held her hands together in a silent prayer waiting for my answer.

This felt so unreal. These kind of things never usually happened. It seemed too good to be true. But all I felt from Lucy was genuine kindness and trust. I didn't feel an inch of doubt towards her. She was a sweet, unconventional business woman who was giving me a chance when I had none. Who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth?

"How could I refuse such an amazing offer?" I asked with a glowing smile on my face. "I'm in!"

Lucy squealed with excitement as she shuffled over to my side to hug me. "This is going to be great! I have a good feeling about you, and I'm usually a pretty good judge of character, ex-boyfriend being the one exception."

I giggled with her on that, knowing all too well about being wrong about an ex.

"Now," she continued, "let's enjoy our sweets in celebration and get to know each other, shall we?"

"I'll drink to that!" I happily replied as I held up my now warm cocoa, causing Lucy to hold hers up as well.

"Iris, my dear, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship." Lucy declared with excitement.

"I couldn't agree more, Lucy, my dear." I replied with a grin. "To a new start!"

"To a new start!" Lucy responded as we clanged our mugs together.

I felt like I was walking on sunshine. Things were truly looking up.

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed it! For Lucy, I chose the beautiful Christine McConnell. Feedback is always appreciated! Until next time... *kiss noise***


	4. Modern Love

**I'm baaaack! We've got a nice lengthy chapter here, with a lot more interaction between Matt and Iris. This was a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy it! Btw, to set the mood for the chapter, listen to Modern Love by David Bowie while reading :)**

* * *

Chapter 4: Modern Love

After spending the next couple of hours chatting and setting up my new employment, I remembered I needed to do some real grocery shopping. The bakery started getting a bit busy, so after a quick hug and exchange of phone numbers, I walked out of Sweet Heaven feeling accomplished and excited to start my new job the next morning.

Oh how I wish I could call Mom right now and tell her the good news. God I've missed her so much. I felt horrible for not going to visit her as soon as I came to the city. But it wasn't safe enough yet. I couldn't risk going and being recognized. What if he found out somehow and something ended up happening to her?

It's not safe yet, but it will be. Just have to lay low a little longer, then you and Mom will be okay.

Setting those thoughts aside before I could lose myself to them, I set out for the nearest grocery store.

* * *

The sun was setting as I walked out of the store carry a few bags of groceries. As I walked down the sidewalk to head home, I spotted a little antique store to my left. A few things to give the apartment a little personality wouldn't hurt. With that being reason enough for me, I turned towards the shop and welcomed myself in.

The store was small, cluttered, and it smelled as old as the antiques and knickknacks it was carrying. I might become a regular here.

The house I lived in before was like a museum. All glass and marble,very cold and beautiful, and I wasn't allowed to touch anything without his permission. I hated that house. It was the "best house on the beach" and I fucking hated it. So now that I was out of there, I became determined to make my home everything that house wasn't. Everything he looked down his nose at, I wanted to make the center of attention.

I found some books that were still in good condition; Interview with the Vampire, Frankenstein, The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft, The Complete Tales And Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. That collection of gothic literature was definitely going home with me. I suddenly remembered the groceries in my hands and realized I couldn't get much today, but I would definitely be going back tomorrow.

As I was walking towards the register to pay, something out the corner of my eye caught my attention. To my right was a table with an array of CDs of different artists ranging from David Bowie to Wanda Jackson. And among this vast collection of music sat a small stereo for sale. It was a combination cassette/CD player that looked to be in decent condition.

It didn't hit me until now just how much I've missed listening to music I loved. He always hated my "juvenile" taste in music, so he made me get rid of all of my albums. He only liked classical music, especially that one horrible symphony he insisted on playing constantly, and has always given me the chills.

Well he's not here now. And you don't have to ever hear that terrible music ever again. You know you want your music back. Take it!

Without a second thought, I reached for the stereo and grabbed as many CDs as I could carry; thanking God once again for remembering to take my backpack with me today. After I paid, I stuffed my new treasures in my backpack, carrying the stereo by the handle along with my groceries, and headed towards home.

As I was getting closer to the apartment building, I felt a shiver down my spine. I was being watched again. I tensed up as I stopped and looked all around me, again not seeing anyone suspicious. I looked up at the roof, only this time it truly was empty up there with not a soul in sight.

I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding, and turned to get to the entrance. I turned too quickly though, and crashed into a wall of muscle.

"Oh shit!" I yelped as I blindly tripped over our feet and my ass was about to get acquainted with the ground.

At least that would've been the case, if the wall of muscle in question hadn't have caught me faster than I could blink, just a foot away from hitting the pavement. I looked up at my savior, only to have my jaw drop at seeing the familiar red sunglasses and heart-stopping smile of Matt Murdock.

"Ms. Roberts, I thought we were supposed to worry about me suing you, not the other way around." He said with a smile but with a concerned tone in his voice.

God, why are you testing me when it comes to this criminally gorgeous man?

I let out a nervous giggle. "Well, Mr. Murdock, if you would just wear a bell around your neck once in a while, maybe I'd hear you and not bump into you every single time we meet."

He let out a chuckle, sending exciting shivers through my body, giving me goosebumps. "You know, you're not the first one to suggest I wear a bell around my neck. Maybe I should consider it."

"Well I'll be on the lookout for a nice red bell to match your glasses." I replied, causing him to let out a full laugh, making the shivers running through me even more intense.

"If you get one, I might actually wear it…" he trailed off in thought. "Some day."

I rolled my eyes and giggled, "People always say "some day" when they actually mean "no chance in Hell". That kind of defeats the purpose of getting the bell." I raised my eyebrow at him expectantly as I continued, "You want to try that again, Mr. Murdock?"

Matt looked deep in thought before he leaned in closer, his warm breath making my face heat up like a furnace and my heart racing at ludicrous speed.

He replied with a sly smirk. "Some day."

"Oh!" I let out an exaggerated gasp like I was insulted and lightly smacked his shoulder with the hand that was holding the small stereo, causing him to laugh once more.

God, he has a beautiful laugh. Oh damn it, snap out of it!

I snapped out of my thoughts and took a second to realize we never moved from our spot. He was still holding me in his arms a foot away from the ground. He held me in what could be a very romantic dip as if we were dancing. My heart raced even faster at the images dancing in my head. I felt his grip tighten around me.

I cleared my throat to break the suddenly intimate moment. "We should probably move out of the way."

I felt his fingers tighten slightly at my back before clearing his throat as well to reply, "Yeah, sorry, you're probably right. We should head inside."

With that, he stood up from his lunge that he held in position for who knows how many minutes (I refused to think about how strong and muscular his thighs must be) and helped me up along. My body lost the warmth it felt while being held in his muscular arms. I felt safe in those arms.

I shook myself out of my daydreaming when I saw two of my grocery bags were on the ground.

Matt must've sensed my movement towards the bags. "Oh Iris, I'm sorry! Here, let me help you." He said as he crouched down to reach for the bags.

"Oh no, Matt, it's okay." I tried to grab the bags first. "I've got this."

But Matt was quicker as he got a hold on the bags before I could touch a strap. "No, please, Iris. I insist. It's the least I can do after I knocked you off your feet." He said with an apologetic, but still beautiful smile.

More like swept me off my feet, you mean.

"Well okay, when you put it like that." Was all I could say without blurting out my inner thoughts.

"Shall we?" He asked as he held out his arm for me to take, the chivalrous gentleman that he is.

Damn it, Matt! You're making it harder trying to keep my distance. And making it too damn easy to fall for you, and I barely even know you!

I shook off my inner thoughts and chuckled at the chivalrous gesture as I accepted his arm. "Why yes, we shall. Lead the way, Mr. Murdock."

"I believe I asked you to call me Matt, Iris," Matt said with a smirk as we started walking towards the entrance. "And besides, it's probably not safe for me to do the leading. Call it a hunch."

I shook my head and giggled at his constant blind jabs. "Fine then, I'll do the leading, Matt."

"Well now I think that's even worse." Matt's smirk grew even wider as he commented.

"Wise ass." I replied, failing to stop my laughter as we entered the building and walked towards the elevator.

* * *

We made it up to our floor without further incident. It wasn't until we came close to my apartment that I realized Matt was still holding my groceries.

I turned to retrieve my groceries from him, "Thanks so much for your help, Matt. I can take it from here."

However, Matt rebutted, "Nonsense, my lovely neighbor. I can help carry them in your place, if that's okay of course."

I hesitated for a minute. I wasn't sure how to feel about having a man I barely know inside my private home. On the other hand, Matt's a really nice guy and has given me no reason not to trust him. So far.

"Um, yeah sure," I finally replied. "Come on in."

I unlocked the door and allowed Matt inside first. I followed after, leaving the door open. Just in case.

"The counter is about five steps to your right, you can set them down there." I told him as I made my way over to the counter.

Matt seemed to appreciate the gesture. "Thank you," he smiled as he walked towards the counter. "Not many people are courteous enough to give helpful tips like that."

I smiled and replied as I unpacked my groceries, "My mom's blind. I grew up knowing how be helpful and respectful better than some people." I figured giving him that one honest thing about me couldn't hurt.

Matt smiled in understanding. "That must've been a challenge growing up."

I shook my head, "It was at first when I was really little and didn't quite understand yet, but she's always been fiercely independent. She never had too hard of a time being able to do anything without sight."

"She sounds like an amazing woman." Matt said with admiration in his voice.

I smiled with pride, "She really is. I've missed her so much."

Matt frowned, "Oh, I'm sorry. Did she…"

I knew what he was asking and was quick to reply, "Oh no! Not yet, thank God." I saw Matt relax with relief as I continued, "She's in a nursing home. She had a stroke."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Matt replied. "Have you gone to see her since you moved here?"

I shook my head in disappointment, "Not yet. I…" I don't think it's safe "I want to get settled in my new job first. Which I just got today." I concluded, wanting to change the subject before I said too much.

Matt seemed to go along with it as he responded, "Oh, that's great! Where at?"

"This really cute little bakery on the corner of 57th street, so not too far from here. It's called Sweet Heaven." I smiled thinking about my exciting opportunity.

Matt tilted his head in an amused smirk, "The irony of that name is not lost on me."

I let out a laugh when I got what he meant. "Well the owner does have a quirky sense of humor." I started putting my groceries away as I continued talking, "Maybe you and Foggy can stop by sometime. The treats are pretty addicting, and I can already recommend some of my favorites."

Matt chuckled as he replied, "I'm definitely going to take you up on that. Foggy has a hell of a sweet tooth." He then frowned as he continued, "I'm sorry for how blunt he was earlier, by the way. He tends to speak first and think later."

I blushed in embarrassment from how I acted that morning. "It's alright. I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly. Twice now." I hesitated before I continued with some vague honesty, "I'm going through some stuff right now, that I really don't want to talk about, and I've just been on edge, to say the least."

Good. Giving him a little bit of truth without the actual details will feel less like lying, and hopefully be enough for him to not ask any questions.

Matt nodded in understanding as it felt like his eyes were staring into mine. "It's alright, I understand completely." He stepped closer towards me, stopping at a much closer, but still respectable distance. "And if you ever need any kind of help, or at least someone to talk to, I'm a really good listener. You're a really nice girl to have as a neighbor, and if it's alright with you, I'd like to be your friend." He finished with sweet, gentle smile.

My heart was beating so fast, I thought it would beat out of my chest. He sounded so sweet and sincere, and already treated me with more respect than I've ever been treated, it was taking everything in me not to cry.

I cleared my throat to swallow the lump as I replied, "Thank you, Matt. I'd love to be your friend." He flashed me his beautiful smile that shone even brighter than I've ever seen it so far.

"Well since we're friends now, it's only right that you make it up to me for running off twice in a row and hurting my feelings in the process." He smirked, breaking the emotional and tense moment with his humor.

I let out a laugh, "Okay, you got me. What are your terms, council?"

Matt's eyebrow raised as he held his smirk, "Starting on lawyer jokes, huh? I can see I'm starting to rub off on you."

Please don't talk about rubbing anything off on me after we've just become friends. I'm testing myself as it is.

Matt continued, "How about you make it up to me by joining me for dinner tomorrow night?"

My heart stopped. I should've expected him to say that, but I didn't. The idea of a dinner alone with him made me thrilled, but also really nervous at the intimacy of it all. But we'd just become friends, and I felt I could trust him.

"Um, sure!I'd love to." That provoked another brilliant smile from him, causing me to smile along with him. "What did you have in mind?"

He shrugged, "Not sure yet. Let's talk about it tomorrow, ok? I might take you up on your suggestion and stop by the bakery."

I smiled in relief as I replied, "Sounds good. I'm there from 8 till 4 tomorrow, so you can stop by anytime between that time."

"Sounds great. I look forward to seeing you there." My eyebrow raised at his funny choice of words. The man loved his blind jokes. He chuckled as he continued, "Well I've taken up enough of your time, and I have some work to do, so I'll get out of your hair."

I smiled as I walked him towards the still open door. "Okay, thanks again, Matt. It was really nice talking to you."

Matt turned to face me as he smiled at me, "It was nice talking to you, Iris. Have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow."

I giggled and replied, "I'll see you tomorrow. Don't work too hard."

Matt smirked as he made the short walk to his apartment, "I make no promises."

I rolled my eyes in amusement, "Well then don't hurt yourself from working too hard."

He still held that sexy smirk as he replied, "I can't make promises on that either."

I laughed, not knowing how true that statement could be. "Goodnight, you workaholic!" I heard him say it back as I closed the door.

Before I went back to putting my groceries away, I decided to try out the stereo. I plugged it in and popped in David Bowie's greatest hits. As I pressed play, my attention drew to the cupboard and I noticed that I had stacked the cans in perfect, pristine order, with the labels facing out in perfect unison.

Just the way he liked it.

I must've been so caught up in talking to Matt, that I stacked them on autopilot. Before I could lose myself in another painful memory, I faintly heard the familiar riffs of Modern Love. My favorite song.

He's not here to take it away from you. He can't punish you for listening to it. You're free. You're safe. Now turn up the volume and knock those fucking cans down!

Feeling more determined, I turned up the volume loud enough to fill the empty space, and proceeded to happily knock the pristine cans off alignment. My giggles grew louder and louder as I knocked each can into the cupboard until it was a wonderful, unorganized mess.

My heart felt light as a feather, I felt the sudden urge to dance. So I did.

I danced like I was Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club, I did clumsy cartwheels in my living room, I jumped up on the couch and danced on the cushions, and I sang loud and proud to the lyrics I haven't heard in so long.

But I try  
I try

Never going to fall for  
(Modern Love)  
Walks beside me  
(Modern Love)  
Walks on by  
(Modern Love)  
Gets me to the Church on Time  
(Church on Time)  
Terrifies me  
(Church on Time)  
Makes me party  
(Church on Time)  
Puts my trust in God and Man  
(God and Man)  
No confessions!  
(God and Man)  
No religion  
(God and Man)  
Don't believe  
In Modern Love

This was the first real fun I'd had in years, I sang and danced like no one was watching. I was too lost in the music that I didn't notice the familiar dark figure standing on the rooftop across from my window watching over me with a smile on his face.

* * *

I woke up the next morning feeling more refreshed and relaxed than ever. I jumped out of bed and quickly got myself all pretty and ready for my first day at work.

I didn't see Matt as I left the apartment, so I assumed he was at work already. I couldn't wait to see him later today.

It seemed like time had gone by fast as Lucy was training me. We were having such a good time working together, I didn't realize it was almost noon. And no sign of Matt yet.

I was wiping the counter, feeling anxious, when I heard the bell ring from the door opening.

"Hi, welcome to Sweet Heaven! How may I help you?" I greeted before I looked up and recognized the two familiar faces. One being the cool red shades and dazzling smile of Matt Murdock, the other being the blonde teddy bear known as Foggy Nelson. "Oh hey, guys!" I grinned.

"Hello, lovely Iris, and what a glorious Heaven it is!" Exclaimed Foggy with excitement.

I giggled in reply, "Well, just wait until you've had a bite. You'll really be in Heaven then!" I turned towards Matt and smiled even brighter. "Hi, Matt."

He smiled back, "Hi, Iris. How's your first day going so far?"

"So far so good!" I replied. "We had a slight breakfast rush this morning, but it's mellowed out for now. And you'll be happy to know that I haven't burned anything even once!" I finished, feeling very proud of myself.

Matt let out a laugh, "I'm very impressed, Ms. Rogers. I'm glad I don't have to worry about filing a lawsuit for burnt pastries anytime soon." He said with a sly smirk.

I rolled my eyes with a chuckle, "Don't jinx me! The day is still young, Mr. Murdock."

I heard the familiar steps of a stunning brunette amazon walking up behind me as she cut in, "What's this I'm hearing about lawsuits, Iris?" Lucy asked as she stood next to me. "Don't tell me I'm losing you already! I just trained you on how to preserve the bodies properly in the freezer. You can't take that away from me!" She said, being so serious with her dramatics, I didn't know if the guys understood she was joking.

I laughed as I played along, "Don't worry, Lucy. The bodies will continue being looked after properly." She sighed in relief. I heard Matt's hypnotizing laugh as I gestured toward the two lawyers. "I'd like you to meet my friends Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson. They're lawyers, so be careful what you say in front of them." I said with my own amused smirk.

Lucy smiled at the gentlemen, and especially waves flirtatiously at a certain blushing blonde teddy bear.

"Guys," I continued the introductions, "This beautiful woman is Lucy Addams, the owner of this literal piece of Heaven."

Lucy stepped out from behind the counter to shake hands with the handsome men as I followed to join them.

"It's very nice to meet you, gentlemen." Lucy said as she held up her hand, Matt being the first to take it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Addams." He said with his charming smile. "I've heard your bakery is amazing, and I'm really looking forward to trying some of your desserts."

Lucy smiled, "Why thank you, Mr. Murdock. I hope you enjoy it, especially the treats Iris has baked herself." She gestured towards me.

"I'm sure I'll love them." He smirked in my general direction. "And please, like I've told Iris several times before, call me Matt. We don't need to be so formal."

We shared a laugh as Lucy replied, "As long as you call me Lucy." She then turned towards Foggy, who I had just realized was completely silent ever since Lucy came out. "And you must be Foggy, isn't that right, handsome?" She smiled flirtatiously at him.

Silence. Foggy stood silently in a daze, looking at Lucy with the closest thing to "heart eyes" I've ever seen. I failed to hold back my snort of amusement.

Matt "subtly" nudged Foggy back to earth, knocking him out of his daze.

"Hi!" Foggy squeaked as he gently shook her hand, "I'm Foggy Addams- Nelson! Foggy Nelson. You're so beautiful- I mean it's beautiful to meet you!" He stammered, his face getting redder and redder.

I was snorting like a pig, I tried so hard not to laugh and embarrass the poor love struck man even further. Matt appeared to be struggling as well, his lips tightening, failing to keep a straight face in front of his friend.

Lucy just smiled, her cheeks reddening. "It's beautiful to meet you, too, Foggy." The blonde teddy bear let out a giggle, while he was still holding her hand. Lucy continued, "And as for the last name, let's have some treats and get to know each other first." She winked.

Foggy's eyes widened as his hand went limp, finally letting go of her hand. Matt and I stood and witnessed Lucy leading Foggy by the hand towards the desserts while he kept his heart eyes on her and followed her lead like a lost puppy.

Foggy had it bad. I looked over at Matt, my heart racing as I stared at his contagious smile.

I'm right there with you, Foggy.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to subscribe and leave some feedback! *Kiss noise*


	5. Just Friends?

**Heeey guys! I'm back with chapter 5, and boy are you in for a ride! I'm gonna be vague as hell and leave it at that. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Just Friends…?**

As soon as my shift ended, I rushed home to start getting ready for my evening with Matt. My body was shivering with anticipation, my stomach filled with butterflies and doing constant somersaults.

I shouldn't be so nervous over a simple and casual dinner, it's not like it was a _date_.

_**It's a goddamn date and you know it. **_

It's only a casual dinner with Matt.

_**Beautiful, sweet, sinfully sexy Matt who is obviously attracted to you. **_

A casual dinner with Matt, who is my neighbor and _just my friend. _

_**Really? Just friends? Tell that to your hormones, you dirty liar. **_

With my stupid thoughts refusing to shut up, I reached for my CD collection and popped in the first one I grabbed, which ended up being Erasure. _**Whoever owned these CDs had excellent taste.**_

The beginning chords of _A Little Respect _started playing as danced towards my closet.

_I try to discover  
A little something to make me sweeter  
Oh baby refrain from breaking my heart  
I'm so in love with you  
I'll be forever blue_

I continued singing to the lyrics, not really paying attention to the lyrics as I went through every dress I owned. Unfortunately that wasn't saying much, since I had very little to offer in my wardrobe. Packing light didn't leave much room for much clothing.

After spending 20 minutes fussing over it, I finally settled on a light grey sweater with long sleeves to cover the bruises, and an A-line red skirt that sat a few inches above my knees, completed with black tights and my black ankle boots.

_**Red and grey, huh? Interesting choice of colors. **_

I continued to ignore my inner thoughts as I put on a bit of makeup and brushed my hair.

I heard a knock at my door 10 minutes later and my heart, as well as the butterflies in my stomach started fluttering at ludicrous speed once more.

I tried to calm myself as I reached for my jacket along with the small heart shaped purse Lucy was kind enough to loan me. I rushed to the door, paused to take a deep breath, and opened the door to greet my friend Matt, who was _not _my date.

_**Keep telling yourself that. **_

"Hi Matt!" I greeted with a smile I seemed to always have when I was around him.

My heart raced as he smiled back at me, "Hi, Iris. You look beautiful tonight."

"And how exactly can you tell, Mr. Murdock?" I giggled as my eyebrow raise in amusement, "I could be dressed like a homeless person for all you know."

Matt belly laughed, "You raise a very good point, Ms. Roberts." He tilted his head as he "looked" right at me. "But something tells me that's just not the case with you. How can I tell you look beautiful? I just _know. _Call it a hunch." He finished with a knowing and sexy smirk.

_**Well what the hell do I say to **_**that** _**without making an aroused idiot of myself?**_

I didn't have to touch my face to know I was blushing tomato red. I cleared my throat as I tried to change the subject. "Thank you, Matt. You look beautiful all the time." My eyes widened at the realization of what I said. _**So much for changing the subject, you twit!**_

Matt's eyebrows rose as I stuttered to fix my slip up, "I-I meant _handsome. _You look handsome all the time- I mean _tonight! _Not that you don't all the time, I just meant-um…" _**You're making it worse, shut up! **_"So where are we going again? We should go!" _**Smooth. **_

Matt, God bless him, tried his hardest not to laugh at my embarrassing display. He was kind enough to go along with actually changing the subject. "You should probably turn off your music first."

I stood there confused for a second before I heard the current song playing loud and clear in my apartment.

_When it's cold outside  
Am I here in vain?  
Hold on to the night  
There will be no shame_

_Always, I want to be with you  
And make believe with you  
And live in harmony, harmony oh love _

_**Fuckin Erasure!**_

My already flushed face turned even redder as I rushed to shut off the stereo I _thought _was my friend. Of course it would play _Always_ at the most inappropriate time after I already embarrassed myself once this evening.

I let out a silent prayer that this would be the last of my awkward moments for the night before I walked back towards Matt and locked the door.

I turned to look at him, still blushing. "I'm sorry about that. My brain is sort of all over the place."

Matt just gave another sweet and beautiful smile in return as we started walking towards the elevator. "Don't worry about it. Besides, that sounded like a pretty good song. Who was it?"

"Erasure. The song's called _Always._" I replied, the blush starting to fade from my face, but still very much present. "I haven't listened to them in years, they're one of my favorites."

Matt nodded with a smile. He motioned for me to step on the elevator first as he replied, "They sound pretty good. I'd ask if I could borrow your CD sometime, but I can hear your music through the walls perfectly."

My eyes widened with guilt, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry for playing my music too loud. I didn't mean to be so insensitive."

Matt's brows furrowed with confusion, "Iris, you don't need to apologize." He reassured me, "I wasn't implying that you were disturbing me. And you're the furthest thing from insensitive."

I looked up at him timidly, "Really? I wasn't bothering you? Because I'll be sure to keep the music down from now on."

Matt just smiled that sweet endearing smile that always makes me melt, "Please don't. I actually enjoy hearing it. It's a nice change from hearing the city noises and sirens all night."

I smiled with relief, ignoring my rapidly beating heart as we stepped out of the elevator and made our way out to the restaurant with Matt leading the way.

* * *

_Bella Notte _was a little hidden gem of an Italian restaurant just a few blocks away from home. The delicious smell of garlic, Italian spices, and marinara greeted us as we entered the restaurant. The space was small, could fit maybe 30 people at the most, very intimate. The lightning was somewhat dim with fairy lights hanging on the ceiling and a lit candle at each table, giving it an enchanting ambiance. Paintings of different parts of Italy adorned the rustic brick walls. The music of Frank Sinatra's _Night and Day _filled the air.

We were shown to our table that was towards the back of the restaurant. Matt, the perfect gentleman, pulled my chair out for me to sit before he took his seat across from me. The waiter took our drink orders and left us alone to look over the menus.

I looked over at Matt, concerned that he didn't have a menu in braille. "Matt, would you like me to read the menu for you? You can let me know what sounds good."

Matt shook his head with a grateful smile. "No thank you, Iris, that won't be necessary. Thanks for the offer though, that's really thoughtful of you."

"It's no problem at all." I smiled in return. "I take it you've been here enough times to remember the menu?"

"Yeah, you'd be right about that." He chuckled. "I usually get the chicken parmigiana. It's pretty amazing."

I instantly felt my mouth water. I hadn't been allowed to eat anything fried or breaded in years. _He _insisted I needed to watch my weight, even though I never once had a weight problem.

_**What the hell did he know? He doesn't matter anymore, so don't think about him. Focus on the sweet, gorgeous man in front of you who is the complete opposite of that monster. **_

"You know what? That sounds fantastic, I think I'll have the same." I replied.

Matt grinned, "Okay, great! I promise you won't regret it."

The waiter chose that moment to return with our two glasses of red wine. I gave Matt the okay to do the honors of ordering our food for us.

"I'm going to remember you said that in case I have to sue you for false advertising." I jokingly threatened as the waiter walked off. "And there's witnesses that will back me up."

Matt laughed, "Oh, hell, you got me there. I'll have to make extra sure you enjoy it then. Foggy would never let me live it down if you took me to court."

"Well, I imagine he wouldn't, since I'm going to hire him as my attorney." I laughed as Matt let out a dramatic gasp.

"Ms. Roberts! You would dare use my own partner against me? What makes you so sure he'll even betray his best friend like that?" He asked with suspicion.

I was quick to reply, "He has heart eyes for my boss. I just need to have her ask him, and he'll be putty in our hands."

Matt's eyebrows raised in surprise, "I didn't take you for the type to play dirty, Ms. Roberts. I'm impressed."

I smiled in victory, and I might or might not have done a little victory dance in my chair. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Mr. Murdock. I'm just full of surprises." _**If he only knew. **_

"Well I'm hoping I can change that with time, Iris." Matt replied with that sexy smirk I love so much. "I'd love to get to know you better, if that's okay."

I blushed as I tried to think of how to approach this without giving too much away. "Yeah...I guess that's okay…" I hesitated. "How about we play 20 questions? I tell you things, you tell me things."

"Quid pro quo, Clarice?" Matt joked.

"I'm pretty sure _you're _the Clarice in this scenario." I quipped.

"Okay, Hannibal. Just don't eat my liver." He chuckled with a smirk.

"I make no promises, Matt. This _is _a very nice Chianti." I replied as I took a sip of my wine.

Matt let out an infectious belly laugh that echoed through the tiny restaurant. Before he could say anything else, our waiter came back with our meals in record time.

"Before we start our game, you have to take your first bite and be honest about how amazing it tastes." Matt stated as he waited patiently for me to take the bite.

It was _delicious. _The crispness of the breaded chicken was bursting with flavor in my mouth, the fresh pasta soaked in marinara sauce was so mouth watering, the smoked mozzarella literally melted in my mouth. It felt like my palate was awakened.

"It's good, right?" Matt asked, already knowing the answer.

"No." I replied with a straight face.

Matt looked confused as he was stunned silent.

I couldn't hold back my laughter and decided not to torture him any longer, "It's _amazing_!"

Matt let out a surprised laugh, "Oh I'm gonna get you back for that." He pointed at me threateningly with a sneaky smile on his face.

_**You've already got me. **_My heart skipped a beat at the thought. Matt tilted his head slightly, as if he heard my heartbeat.

I quickly brushed it off with a laugh. "Good luck with that, Clarice."

"Alright, Hannibal," Matt chuckled, "Let's play. Ladies first."

"Thank you, don't mind if I do." I replied as I thought of my first question. "How old are you?"

"Starting off easy, I see. I'm 32." He replied. "How old are you? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

I smiled cheekily, "I'll allow it for now. I'm 23." Matt's eyebrows raised in surprise at my answer. "What music do you love?" I asked.

Matt took a second to think about it. "I honestly don't listen to music that often, but I like a bit of everything I suppose. Oldies especially. Nothing too crazy."

"So you like Rap?" I smirked waiting for his answer.

"I can't stand it. It gives me headaches." He replied with a grimace. "I already know the music _you _like. What music do you _hate_? Or at least strongly dislike?"

I answered without a second thought, "I dislike classical music. I _hate _Hector Berlioz."

Matt tilted his head in curiosity. "Really? Why Berlioz?"

My spine stiffened and my voice went hollow before I could help it. "His _Symphonie Fantastique _gives me nightmares."

It was _his_ favorite piece to play every time he got _excited _and would…

_**Don't think about that. Not now. Not when you're having such a great night with such a sweet and kind gentleman. He doesn't need to know about that. **_

I shook myself out of my thoughts as I quickly changed the subject before Matt could have a chance to question me about it. "So, have you always lived in New York?"

Matt cleared his throat before he answered, "Yeah, all my life. I've actually never been anywhere else, really. New York and Hell's Kitchen is all I've ever known."

"I can't say I blame you there." I replied. "I've been here for almost a week now and I honestly can't imagine being anywhere else."

Matt's smile lit up his face at my comment. "That's great! Some people would say it's a waste not to travel anywhere, but I don't feel like I'm missing anything. It's not like I could see any new places anyway."

I shook my head. "You're not missing anything. I traveled to get _here,_ obviously, but it was just a means to an end. I'm much happier and at home here."

"Where were you at before coming here? If you don't mind me asking." Matt asked, getting back to our question game.

_**A little more truth won't hurt. **_"Miami, Florida."

"Florida?" Matt asked, sounding surprised and intrigued. "That's quite a difference from Hell's Kitchen. What was it like?"

_**My own personal Hell. **_"It was beautiful at first…" I trailed off.

Matt's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "And later?"

_**A fucking prison I nearly died to get out of. **_ "I outgrew it."

Matt seemed to sense my desire to change the subject. "What color is your hair now?"

My eyebrow raised in confusion. Matt again seemed to sense it as he explained, "I can smell the fresh dye in your hair," He grimaced, "That sounded a lot less creepy in my head."

I let out a laugh, breaking the tension that was in the air. "Pretty impressive senses, Mr. Murdock. It's red. I was pale blonde before."

Matt smiled as he asked softly, "What do you look like?"

I didn't spare a second thought as I stood up to to sit in an empty chair next to him. My heart started racing as I reached for his hands. I could feel his hand tremble slightly as his fingertips touched my cheeks. His touch was as soft as silk as he gently explored my face, touching with the utmost care as if I were a porcelain doll. I felt my eyes well up with unshed tears at the first truly gentle touch I've gone so long without. His hands felt slightly rough with calluses, yet they felt heavenly against my skin.

"My eyes are blue. Like the ocean." I whispered as his fingertips lightly grazed the closed lids of my eyes.

"They sound beautiful." He replied just as softly. "I can only imagine how blue they must look with the red hair." He gently ran his fingers through the tendrils of my hair.

I gently smiled, "They've gotten bluer since I've moved here." _**And brighter since I've met **_**you**_**. **_

My heart skipped a beat as his fingertips saved my lips for last. My lips tingled at his touch as if they were coming alive for the first time in years. His fingertips stopped dead in their tracks as they felt that awful cut on my lower lip. My body stiffened as I opened my eyes to gauge his reaction. His jaw tightened so hard, I could hear his teeth grinding, he looked _furious. _I couldn't explain it, but I could feel it in my heart that his anger wasn't toward me, even though my knee-jerk reaction as well as force of habit tried to insist that it _was. _

"It's nothing." I tried to soothe his silent anger. "It was just an accident."

Matt loosened his jaw slightly as he gently replied, "The idea of you being hurt in any way is not _nothing._"

Sensing the increased tension in my body made him loosen up more. He gently held my cheek in his hand as he "looked" at me.

"Are you okay?" He asked with genuine concern.

I gave a shaky nod as I swallowed back the threatening tears. "I'm going to be."

He gave a tender smile as he leaned towards me and asked, "What's your favorite color?"

I couldn't stop the belly laugh that burst out at his random question that gratefully lightened the mood.

"Red."

* * *

The rest of the evening went beautifully after that. I told Matt as much of the truth as I felt was harmless and necessary, and I got to learn more about Matt's life. His rough childhood of losing his sight while saving a man's life, losing his father shortly after that and spending his childhood in an orphanage. But with the worst times came the best times; meeting Foggy, passing the bar exam, making the giant leap into starting their own practice together.

Maybe that was one of the reasons I found myself so drawn to Matt. We're both survivors of our own personal Hells. One different from the other, but we both survived. He made it out so much stronger. Stronger than I did, no doubt. I don't really believe I'm as strong as Matt, but maybe someday I _will_ be. And maybe I could start by stop denying myself the chance to get close to Matt.

Not that I was doing a good job of doing that to begin with. Despite telling myself to avoid him, it hasn't really worked out, and maybe now I'm realizing that that's a good thing.

We're never going to be "just friends", and I'm starting to really open up to the possibility of being more.

We made it back to our apartment building as I was pondering over my realization. Matt, ever the gentleman, stopped at my door first; stepping aside to let me unlock the door.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, Matt." I told him with a grin I was sure he could sense.

He of course offered his gorgeous smile in return. "I did too, Iris. Maybe we can do it again sometime soon?" He asked , his voice filled with hope.

"I'd love to." I answered. "Just let me know when and where."

"You got it." He replied with a smile of relief. He leaned towards me and gave me a tender kiss in my cheek, causing it to instantly heat up. "Goodnight Iris."

"Goodnight, Matt." I replied as I decided to be bold and kiss him on the cheek in return.

The smile I received shined brighter than the lights in Las Vegas. His cheeks flushed pink as he turned away and walked to his apartment door.

I closed the door and practically floated into bed, falling asleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when an unsettling feeling came over me. I felt a dark presence in the room.

Someone was standing over my bed.

I kept my eyes shut tight, my knuckles turned white from the death grip I had on my pillow, trying to will the presence away.

"Hello, Princess."

My blood ran cold.

My body trembled as my eyes opened to see the gigantic, familiar, threatening shadow towering over me.

"I told you I'd always find you." He said in a pleased and taunting voice.

I was paralyzed with fear. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak. Not even to cry out for help.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was over you?" He growled as he leaned down to face me, forcing me to look into his cold blue eyes. "Now you've forced me to punish you, _again._" He declared as he held up his usual punishment of choice; a heavy can wrapped in a towel like it was a nap sack.

"I'm going to make sure you _never _leave me again!" He yelled as he raised his arm to strike.

Only then was I able to scream...

* * *

My eyes popped open as I sat up screaming my head off. I looked around the room and saw that I was alone.

_**It was a dream. It was only a dream. **_

However, I couldn't stop the panicked breaths I was taking. It felt so _real. _

_**But it **_**wasn't **_**real. He's not here. He hasn't found you. You're safe!**_

I sure as fuck didn't _feel _safe.

My legs felt heavy like dumbbells as I bolted out of my bed. I rushed towards the bathroom to empty my stomach in the toilet. I yanked back the shower curtain to make sure the tub was empty. I rushed over to the closet to check that nobody was hiding in there.

I ran like a madwoman to check that all the windows were shut and locked. I ran to the door to make sure that all of the locks were locked, then I unlocked and relocked each of them three more times to make extra sure.

I went to one of the drawers and grabbed the biggest kitchen knife I had before I stumbled back to the locked door, leaning against it as I slid to the floor.

I grasped the knife with both hands as though my life depended on it. Only then did I succumb to the impending meltdown the nightmare had thrust upon me.

My entire body trembled as I failed to control the tears running down my face and the painful sobs in my throat; I came to realize that no matter how far away I am...I was never going to be free of him.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. Iris still has quite a way to go in order to move on, and it's not gonna be easy. More is getting revealed about her past, and there will be even more revealed in chapter 6, so stay tuned! Until next time, please subscribe and leave feedback! *kiss noise***


	6. Pain, Hurt For So Long

**Hey guys I'm back with number 6! Last chapter was a roller coaster of emotions, and this one is full on angst, so brace yourselves… There's no music playing in the actual chapter, but the song that inspired the chapter title is "Pain" by Tiger Army. Great song, and it's perfect for Iris. Anywho, enough of my rambling, on with Chapter 6!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Pain, Hurt For So Long**

I woke up the next morning still sitting on the floor, barricading the door. I use that term loosely; waking up would require going to sleep first.

After that terrifying nightmare last night, I was on high alert and in full panic mode. I kept the knife in a vice-like grip the entire night, as if I was expecting _him_ to pop up out of nowhere.

_**But that's not going to happen. He's still in Miami, he has no idea you're here. You're safe. **_

Was I _really,_ though?

As long as I was being plagued by these nightmares and the paranoia, I was never going to be safe. Not from the dark corners of my mind. Not really.

I sluggishly stood up and walked over to my room to get dressed for work. I had no idea how I was going to get through the day without passing out from exhaustion. But I couldn't disappoint Lucy on my second day of work. I'd never forgive myself.

It wasn't until I reached for my clothes in the dresser that I realized I was still holding the knife. I shakily set it down on the dresser, allowing a few tears to fall before I stiffened my spine with determination and grabbed my clothes.

I was exiting my apartment and locking the door when I saw Matt stepping out of his apartment at the same time.

"Good morning, Iris." Matt greeted. His voice so sweet and tender, it even sounded concerned. I was on the brink of tears again.

"Good morning, Matt." I replied, my voice as hollow and broken as I felt.

Matt tilted his head in concern. "Are you alright? You don't sound so good." He asked as he stepped towards me.

"Yeah, I just didn't get much sleep last night." I replied, my eyes shifting to the ground.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice a lot closer as he reached out to touch my shoulder.

I couldn't control the impulse as I flinched away from him. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's no big deal." _**Liar. **_

Matt seemed to agree with my inner thoughts. "I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble believing you." Matt replied as we started walking towards the elevator. I walked ahead of him to keep him at a distance.

"Well, it's really none of your concern, Matt." My voice was tight as I tried to keep my composure.

"I disagree." Matt argued as he walked ahead to stop me from moving. "Iris, I care about you. A lot. So whatever you're going through _is _my concern." He tentatively reached for my face to caress my cheek. "I can't stop thinking about you. I _feel _something between us, and I know you do too."

I could hear my heart racing, my eyes welling up with tears. "Maybe there _shouldn't_ be anything between us." I whispered broken-hearted. _**Don't you dare end this with him before it can really start. **_

Matt stiffened. "Don't do that. I know what you're trying to do." _**Of course he does. He's a very clever man. **_"I know you're in some kind of trouble, and I want to help you. But you have to let me in. _Please._" He begged desperately.

I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat as tears ran down my cheeks and onto his hand. My voice cracked as I gently squeezed his hand before pushing it away, and I replied, "_Nobody _can help me."

With that, I walked around him, not giving him a chance to argue. I walked past the elevator and took the stairs instead, distancing myself further from the first genuinely sweet man I had met.

* * *

I entered the bakery feeling more broken and exhausted than I felt earlier this morning. I had barely reached the counter when Lucy appeared from the kitchen.

"No." She pointed at me with authority. "Go home."

My eyes widened perplexed. "Good morning?"

"Good morning, Sweetie." Lucy greeted. "Now _go home._"

"Why? What did I do?" I asked, feeling super confused.

"Not taking care of yourself, apparently." Lucy replied, gently scolding me. "You, my friend, need to go home and sleep. You can come back to work tomorrow or when you're well-rested."

Now I was even _more _confused. "How the Hell did you even know about that?"

Lucy was quick to reply, "Matt called Foggy, and then Foggy called me. So it's my duty as your new boss and best friend to help you."

I had so many questions for that statement, but only one came to mind at the moment. "Foggy called you?"

"I encouraged him to ask me out and I gave him my number; don't change the subject." Lucy replied with a fond smile on her face. "The point is we're all worried about you, and you need to take care of yourself even if the three of us have to force you."

There was no winning this argument with technically three people ganging up on me for my own good.

"Alright." I conceded. "You win, I'm going. I'm so sorry, Lucy." I felt so guilty for being the one thing I hated being. A burden.

Lucy wrapped me in a comforting hug. "Don't be sorry, Iris. Just get some rest and come back when you feel better. And call me if you ever want to talk about what's going on with you, okay?"

I nodded as my eyes welled up with tears for what felt like the hundredth time. "Thank you so much, Lucy."

I started walking towards the exit when I stopped and asked one more question. "Did you call yourself my best friend?"

Lucy shrugged with a smile, "We baked shot glasses out of cookies and christened them with chocolate liqueur. If that's not Best Friend material, I don't know _what _is."

I let out the first laugh I've had today. "I couldn't agree more. See you tomorrow." I waved to her as I walked out of the bakery. Unaware of a familiar presence watching over me and following me from the rooftops above my head.

* * *

I couldn't bring myself to go back to my apartment yet. The idea of being cooped up in there alone with my thoughts and the nightmare from last night still lingering terrified me. I just kept walking with no real destination in mind.

I found myself at a park not too far from a hospital I passed on the way.

I saw an old pay phone nearby; surprised there were any still around, I quickly made my way towards it. Relieved to find it was still working, I put in the change and called for the one person whose voice I desperately needed to hear.

"_Amsterdam Nursing Home. How may I help you?" _A woman's voice greeted on the other end.

"May I speak to Violet Williams in room 17, please?" I asked patiently.

"_May I ask who's calling?" _The woman kindly asked.

"A friend of the family." I answered.

Thankfully that was enough for the receptionist to patch me through to her room.

I could feel my palms sweating, my heart beating a mile a minute.

"_Hello?" _My mouth went dry as I heard the sweetest voice that always gave me comfort.

"Hi, Mom." I whispered, keeping my hand on the mouthpiece so she couldn't hear me.

I had panicked. I didn't have the courage to speak to her yet. But all I wanted was to hear her voice.

"_Is anyone there?" _The sweet and confused voice asked.

"I love you so much." My whispered voice cracked from the tears I fought to hold back.

"_If someone's there, could you speak up, please? I can't hear you."_ Mom asked kindly with a chuckle, breaking my composure more and more.

"I have so much to tell you." My knuckles turned white from the death grip.

"_Jane, I don't think anyone's there." _I heard Mom say to who I assumed was her nurse.

"But I'm okay." I whispered, wishing I had the courage to let her hear me.

"_I'll hang that up for you, Violet." _Another woman, possibly Jane, said on Mom's end.

"I miss you, Mommy." I said as the other line hung up and all I heard was the dial tone.

It was only when I hung up the phone did I allow myself to surrender to my tears.

I wandered aimlessly through the park until the lack of sleep caught up with me, urging my exhausted body to sit down.

I sat down at the nearest empty bench,staring off into nothing as I lost myself in my thoughts.

I was startled out of my thoughts as someone took a seat next to me.

"Hi. I'm sorry if I startled you, but is it okay if I sit here?" The woman kindly asked me.

I turned to look up at the stranger. She was a beautiful brunette with caramel colored skin, and was wearing blue hospital scrubs.

I smiled and silently nodded for her to sit.

She sighed in relief. "Thanks. I'm on my lunch right now, and I needed to sit somewhere that _wasn't _in the hospital." She held up her small bag full of food, pulling out two green apples. She held one out to me.

"Here. You look like you haven't eaten anything today."

I shook my head in protest. "No, you don't have to do that. I'm fine." My stomach chose that moment to growl in hunger.

The woman eyebrow raised at the sound. "Sweetie, your stomach is calling you a liar. _Take it. _I have plenty." She insisted as she pushed the apple into my hand.

"Thank you." I softly replied as I took a huge bite of the apple.

"I'm Claire, by the way." She introduced herself, holding out her hand towards me.

I took it in return, "Iris. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Claire replied. "I haven't seen you around here before." She rolled her eyes, "huge city, I know. But you seem new. Did you just move here? Or are you visiting?"

I couldn't explain it, but I felt comfortable enough around this woman to give her an honest answer. "Just moved here. To be near my mom. She's by herself in a nursing home. She's blind and can't move her left side very well. She had a stroke."

Claire's face crumpled with sympathy. "I'm so sorry to hear that." She paused for a moment before she continued. "Where were you at before? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"I was visiting an old friend." I started to lie. "She needed me."

Sympathy still painted Claire's features. "Oh god, was _she _sick too?" She then shook her head. "I'm sorry, that's none of my business."

After going this long without telling anyone the truth about me, I couldn't contain it any longer. I felt so tired and done with keeping my past to myself. It didn't really hit me until that moment that I needed to talk to _someone_. Maybe I just needed to talk to a kind stranger who I didn't see every day. Who didn't truly know me. I needed to tell someone the truth.

"She left her husband." I finally said in a whisper, causing Claire to turn her eyes towards me.

_**There's no turning back now. **_

My heart raced as I continued, "He was a horrible man. He used to beat her."

"Oh my god." Claire gasped, keeping her eyes on me.

"It started right after their honeymoon." My voice sounded hollow as I continued. "At first, he was charming, and tender. But then it all changed. He was a tyrant; he controlled _everything _she did. Took away things she loved that he didn't like. Kept her isolated from the world so that all she had was _him. _ He said if she ever left him, he would punish her, and he _meant _it. His punishments…" My voice cracked and my body shivered at the memories. "Were _terrible._"

I took a shaky breath to calm myself. "He would never let her go. He said he'd find her _anywhere_."

"What a bastard." Claire visibly shivered as she asked, "Couldn't she call the cops?"

I quickly nodded, already expecting that question. "Well yeah, she _did_. She called them, and a lawyer too. They said she could make a citizen's arrest, get a restraining order. It was _pathetic_." I let out a weak laugh. "She knew that would never be enough. She truly realized that _nobody _could help her. She was all alone."

"Well, how did she leave?" Claire asked anxiously.

I took a deep breath as I looked away from her. "She...risked _everything. _She escaped. Started a new life. New home. New look. New _name._" I finished with a whisper.

The silence was deafening. I could feel Claire's eyes on me as I looked over at the trees.

"She's a really brave girl." Claire spoke with admiration.

I shook my head in protest as I admitted in a broken whisper, "_She_ thinks she's a _coward._"

I felt the unnecessary shame of my actions hit me all at once. I never truly felt brave for doing what I did to escape him.

"A _coward_?" Claire exclaimed in disbelief. "No way. Not a girl like _that._"

_**I'm glad **_**one **_**of us thinks so. **_

"How long did you stay with him?"

My heart stopped and my head snapped over to face her. There was no judgment in her eyes. No disgust or shame. Just a knowing look of sympathy . She nodded in understanding.

Tears of pain and relief ran down my cheeks, my voice cracked as I replied. "Too long_. _Three years. Seven months. Six days." Three years of my life I could never get back.

I quickly wiped the tears from my face as I gave Claire a broken smile. "Thank you for the apple." Claire smiled back at me, her own eyes welled up with unshed tears. "And thank you for listening." I thanked her graciously.

"Any time." Claire replied with a gracious smile. "Do you have a phone on you?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked out of curiosity as I pulled out my cell phone.

Claire reaches for it and started typing on it. "I'm giving you my phone number. Anytime you need someone to talk to,or just have a friend to hang out with, give me a call." She finished as she handed back my phone after using it to call hers.

"Thank you, Claire." I said, not knowing what else to say to express how grateful I was.

"You don't have to go through this alone anymore, Iris." Claire gripped my hand in comfort. "You don't have to _be alone _anymore."

I nodded gratefully as I tried to swallow back the tears threatening to pour out once more. I couldn't believe my luck at finding the most genuinely kind and caring people in Hell's Kitchen of all places.

My mind immediately brought up Matt, and my heart felt heavy. I felt awful for how I treated him this morning. He poured his heart out to me and wanted to help me, and I repaid him by pushing him away. I didn't even know where to _begin_ with how to face him again.

Claire must've noticed my mood dampen even more. "What's the matter?"

_**Well, you've gone this far with telling the truth. Why stop now?**_

"There's a man," I started, "He's my neighbor. He's…amazing. He's so sweet, and considerate, and funny, and charming. I like him...probably so much more than I should. He feels the same way, he told me as much this morning. He's also incredibly clever and observant. He knows that _something _is going on with me. He even wants to help me." I started to crack as I continued. "I pushed him away. I was so rude to him. I just don't know how I'm going to face him." I rolled my eyes at myself, "Hell, after this morning, he probably wouldn't want to come near me anyway."

Claire rubbed my hand in sympathy. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad. And if he's as great of a guy as you say he is, then he won't be driven away so easily. He probably understands better than you think."

I couldn't help but agree. "You're right. He had his friend call my boss to send me home for the day because I didn't sleep last night. He was worried about me, even after I was being horrible to him."

"Sounds like a pretty great guy to me." Claire chimed in.

"He really is. The amazing thing is he's blind, and yet he can see things better than anyone else can. When I'm with him, it's like he can not only see me, but see right _through_ me into my soul." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Claire sit up a little straighter with curiosity.

"This neighbor of yours...his name wouldn't happen to be Matt Murdock, would it?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"You know him?" My eyes widened. _**How small **_**is **_**this damn city?**_

Claire chuckled. "Yeah, he's a friend." She looked like she wanted to elaborate, but she didn't. "If there's one thing I can tell you about Matt, it's that he's extremely protective over the people he cares about the most." She looked at me pointedly. "When he says he wants to help, he really means it, and will do everything he can to do it."

"I believe you," I said in agreement. "I definitely got that impression from him. But I just don't know if he can help me with this. I tried talking to a lawyer before, and it did nothing."

"True, but Matt's different from most lawyers. He actually gives a shit about the people he fights for." Claire gave me a gentle nudge in the shoulder. "And in your case, that _especially _means you." My face flushed at her statement. "Now, Iris, I'm not going to push you into doing anything you don't want to do. God knows, you've experienced enough of that. But will make a suggestion if you're willing to hear me out."

_**What do I have to lose? **_"I'm listening." My eyes met with hers, giving her my full attention.

"Talk to him." She advised. "Tell him the truth. At least as much as you're comfortable with. Speaking from personal experience, I know what it's like to be with the wrong guy and have him break your trust, and you have _every_ reason not to want to trust a man again." _**She really gets it. **_"But, and I'm not just saying this as his friend, you can trust Matt. Believe me when I say he'll understand, and the last thing he would _ever _want to do is hurt you."

What Claire said made a lot of sense. I thought it would be easier and safer to just keep my past to myself. However, I'm starting to realize that keeping everything that happened to me bottled up inside is actually doing more harm than good. Maybe telling Matt _could_ help me; although the thought of telling him everything scares the shit out of me. Can I trust him? Should I trust him?

_**He's been nothing but wonderful to you. He hasn't given you any reason not to trust him. He wants to help you. Give him a chance. **_

I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding and nodded in understanding. "You make a hell of a point, Claire... I'll try."

Claire smiled, "At least you're considering it, and that's what matters." Claire started to stand up from the bench. "I guess so should head back in before they actually miss me." She said with a sarcastic roll of her brown eyes.

I offered a sympathetic smile, "It was great meeting you, Claire. I hope the rest of your day doesn't get too crazy."

Claire snorted, "You and me both!" Claire stopped and looked at me. "Have you had a checkup at all?"

My brows furrowed in confusion, "Um, not in a long time. Why do you ask?"

Claire gave a tense nod. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm only asking because of what you said about…" she trailed off, hesitating on how to approach this delicately. "How your ex _treated _you?" She paused until it dawned on me what she meant. "I was just wondering if you've had anyone check on your...injuries."

I couldn't help but feel touched at someone actually asking about that. "No, he'd never let anyone else see me like that. He'd leave me alone to tend to myself."

Claire shook her head in disgust. "I'm hating this asshole more and more."

I let out a surprised laugh, never having had the courage to say such a thing myself.

"Me too." It felt liberating to allow myself to admit that much at the very least.

Claire offered me her hand with a sincere smile. "Come on. I want to give you a check up, it'll ease my mind."

I could feel those damn tears coming up again in gratitude for this incredible offer of kindness. How could I possibly refuse such a generous offer? I grabbed her hand and rose up from my seat. "Lead the way, Doc."

"Technically I'm a nurse, but I'm not going to stop you from calling me that." Claire smirked.

I let out a laugh. "Then Doc, you shall be."

I proceeded walking towards the hospital entrance with my new friend.

Once more, I wasn't aware of the secret third person keeping a close watch from above; and had been listening to the entire conversation.

* * *

_Matt_

Matt stood on the roof of the hospital speechless; his body stiff and his fists clenched tightly to the point they were shaking. His usual vision of the world on fire burned even hotter and redder. He waited until Iris and Claire were inside the hospital before he grabbed an abandoned empty beer bottle and hurled it aggressively against the wall as he let out a yell of rage.

Oh how he wished the bottle was the face of the asshole who dared laid his hands on the woman he's fallen for.

_**Oh God, Iris. What did that bastard do to you? What monster could look at your sweet face and still have the nerve to hurt you like that? You've been through so much for so long. You didn't deserve to suffer in that Hell. You deserve to be cherished and loved, and protected. **_ He thought as he loosened his tie and tried to control his heavy breathing.

Oh how Matt wanted more than anything to hold Iris in his arms and protect her from anything and anyone that wanted to harm her.

He knew that she was running away from something, but he never thought she'd be running and hiding from the one man who was supposed to love and protect her for the rest of their lives together.

His blood froze as he remembered one detail she mentioned. "_Three years. Seven months. Six days." _ Iris is only 23. She got married when she was only 19, 20 at the most. She was just a _kid_, young, naive, and in love. Too young and naive to realize who she agreed to spend the rest of her life with before it was too late. She had sounded somewhat older than her actual age in the few times Matt has spent with her.

Suffering at the hands of that pig forced her to grow up too fast.

_**God, Iris. You were so young, and small and fragile, you must've been terrified. You're still so young, and you've survived this whole time. You're so much stronger than you think, sweetheart. **_

Matt's heart broke for Iris as he listened to the still vague details of her past being told with years of pain in her voice; and his blood boiled with an unspeakable rage towards the man responsible for that pain.

It took all of his self control to not burst into Iris's apartment the moment he heard her scream last night from the other side of the city. Her heart had been beating out of control, causing his heart to beat in sync with hers as he rushed back to their building to check on her. Each sob she let out caused him more pain than being stabbed ever did. She wasn't the only one who lost sleep last night.

Matt didn't expect to feel this strongly for _anyone_, but that all changed when the adorable girl next door with an exciting love for music charmed her way into his heart in the span of a week without even meaning to. She managed to ignite a light in his life he didn't think he deserved to have; and he'll be damned if he let some worthless abusive asshole hurt her any more than he already did.

It didn't matter to Matt whether or not he and Iris would ever get together; he swore right then and there that he was going to protect her no matter what.

He hoped Iris was going to take Claire's advice and talk to him. He wanted her to trust him enough to tell him the full story, but it's her choice to do so, and he wasn't going to force it from her. She deserved better than that.

Until then, he's going to continue watching over her and making sure she was safe. If only he could protect her from her nightmares and memories. The thought of what she could've possibly dreamed about last night made him sick to his stomach and made him shake with rage towards the man who's caused her suffering.

He needed to let out his aggression.

Feeling hesitant at first at the thought of leaving Iris alone unprotected, Matt reasoned with himself that she's safe with Claire for the time being.

With that resolve, he leapt across to the next building, and made his way towards the church, all the while he kept a vigilant ear out for Iris.

Some guidance from Father Lantom was in order; but first, he was going to make great use of that punching bag they kept downstairs.

* * *

**Matt knows! I've been looking forward to this chapter and that scene with Iris and Claire since I started this fic! So a lot more has been revealed about Iris, but still not the full story, but ALL will be revealed very soon! I hope I did Matt's POV justice, this is a much darker side to him that I haven't fully explored in this story yet, but I hope I did him right. He has so much anger, but the first and most important thing in his mind is Iris and keeping her safe. God I love this man. Well, that's all for now. Thank you so much for reading, don't forget to subscribe and PLEASE leave comments! They really make my day. Until next time! *Kiss noise***


	7. Reach Out, I'll Be There

**Hey guys! I'm back with chapter 7 and man is this one a rollercoaster! Thanks for following this story, and I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Reach Out, I'll Be There**

The men of _Nelson & Murdock _were both on missions today. While Matt was following Iris to make sure she was safe, Foggy took that opportunity to stop by _Sweet Heaven _to see a certain stunning brunette he might or might not have already told his mom about.

Foggy Nelson has done his fair share of chasing after women he was attracted to throughout his life, though admittedly not all of those times were successful since beautiful women seemed to flock towards Matt instead. But the moment he laid eyes on Lucy Addams, all those memories of women he chased in the past had erased from his mind. He only had eyes for Lucy, and it appeared the feeling was mutual.

He couldn't even begin to explain this feeling he had in his heart that was stronger than anything he had ever felt before. Why so sudden for someone he just met? Love at first sight couldn't possibly exist, right? And with that, Foggy's heart argued, _**Why the hell not? Would that really be so wrong?**_

Whether or not it was love or just attraction, Foggy was determined to get to know the dark haired goddess who runs the adorable bakery that's quickly becoming his favorite spot.

Which has lead to the present moment where Foggy was currently standing outside of the bakery, seeing the woman of his dreams handing out cupcakes to a couple of excited little kids while their parents paid. Seeing her interact with the kids with a genuine glowing smile on her face made the butterflies in Foggy's stomach flutter like crazy.

As if feeling his eyes on her, Lucy's eyes shifted until they met his through the window. Her grey eyes brightened to greyish blue as she brightly grinned at him and waved for him to come in. Foggy couldn't contain the grin on his face that shined brighter than the sun as his cheeks flushed into a rosy pink. Foggy quickly pulled out his phone to leave Matt a message telling him to meet him at the bakery to talk about a potential client instead of the office. He smoothed back his hair and straightened his tie before entering the bakery to see about a girl.

* * *

_2 Hours Later_

The bakery was empty aside from Foggy and Lucy currently occupying one of the small tables. There laid two half empty porcelain mugs of coffee and hot chocolate as well as an array of different pastries and cakes for Foggy to "sample", only for him to split between them, always giving Lucy the bigger half.

But those desserts were ignored as the two occupants only had their attention focused on each other, the song "_Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" _by Frankie Valli playing appropriately in the background.

"What's your favorite show?" Lucy asked with eager curiosity as she leaned closer to him with a dreamy gaze in her eyes.

Without missing a beat, Foggy replied "_I Love Lucy._" It took him a second to snap out of his daze to realize how that might sound. "I mean, not because it's _your name,_" he cleared his throat, his face flushing tomato red. "It's just a great show! My mom had me watch it with her growing up, you'd love her by the way, I already told her about you- I mean, it's a funny show!" Foggy was trying so hard to save face, he didn't realize he was babbling.

The melodic sound of Lucy's giggles stopped him from babbling any further. Foggy felt incredibly embarrassed by his word vomit, but all Lucy did was smile.

"You're really cute when you get all flustered." She told him, causing him to blush even harder. "And I _love _that show. She's hilarious! And by the way…" She trailed off as she leaned toward him even closer. "I would love to meet your mother, since she's raised such a _fine _young man." She gave a flirtatious wink.

_I love you baby  
And if it's quite alright  
I need you baby  
To warm the lonely nights  
I love you baby  
Trust in me when I say_

_Oh pretty baby  
Don't bring me down I pray  
Oh pretty baby  
Now that I've found you stay  
And let me love you, baby  
Let me love you_

Foggy's heart raced as the song declared everything he was already dying to say. He took a big gulp of his warm coffee before quickly asking her, "So what's _your _favorite show?"

"_The Addams Family._" Lucy replied with a smile.

"Really?" Foggy asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

She gingerly nodded. "Yep! I've always loved the dark, creepy and kooky stuff. And since my last name also happens to be Addams, I always imagined that I was related to them." Lucy's cheeks turned into a light rosy pink. "I love _The Munsters_ too, but _Addams Family _has always had a special place in my heart." Lucy's eyes locked with Foggy as she reached for his hand before she continued, "Plus, I've always dreamed of having a love like Gomez and Morticia."

_**Oh god, me too. Please let me be your Gomez! **_Foggy thought.

Before he could respond, however, the bell rang as the door opened. Foggy turned to see who rudely interrupted his time with Lucy, only to see Matt enter the bakery.

"Matt, so nice of you to join us." Foggy greeted, his mood dampening slightly.

"Don't sound _too _excited to see me, Foggy." Matt sarcastically replied as he took the seat Lucy led him to at their table.

Foggy could see how visibly tense his friend was as he took a good look at him. His body was straight and tiff from tension, his fists tightening then loosening up. Foggy looked closer at Matt's fists, noticing the knuckles were red with angry scrapes from punching something...or _someone. _

"Holy shit, Matt! Did you get in a fight?" Foggy exclaimed in concern. Lucy saw Matt's fists and rushed to the back room.

"No, I didn't get in a fight." Matt replied through clenched teeth. "I just needed to blow off some steam, and the punching bag was the best option."

"Well I'm glad it's just a punching bag and not a person." Lucy said as she returned to the table with a first aid kit. "It's a little too early in the day for you to be doing your _Daredevil _thing."

Matt's stomach dropped at Lucy's words. His fists clenched even tighter as he addressed his best friend. "Foggy?"

"What?" Foggy shrugged defensively. "I can't start a relationship based on lies! Besides, she's cool. We can trust her."

"What the fuck, Foggy?!" Matt snapped, thankful that the bakery was still empty. "You told a _dangerous _secret to some woman you just met?!" Lucy's grip tightened on Matt's hand as she continued treating it. "No offense, Lucy." He muttered apologetically.

Foggy, on the other hand, took great offense to Matt. "First of all, watch your language in front of this beautiful lady," He angrily pointed out. "Second, we may have 'just met', but I've _already _named our future children! And I know for a fact that Foggy Jr. and Lucy Jr. would appreciate total honesty in this family!" He finished with a pound of his fist atop the table.

The bakery went silent. Matt's lips twitched while he tried to keep his angered expression. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't meant to last as he let out and amused snort.

Lucy didn't bother hiding her giggles, she found the blonde teddy bear so adorable and endearing.

Foggy looked confused as to what was so funny. "What?"

Matt couldn't hold it in anymore, he let out a belly laugh, "Foggy, you make it really hard to stay mad at you."

Foggy still looked clueless until Lucy leaned her head on his shoulder affectionately, still giggling, "Foggy, you are too precious for words, but let's hold off on baby names until we've had our first date at least." She finishes with a kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush into a bright tomato.

Before Foggy could think of how to respond, the bell chimed as a few customers entered the bakery. Lucy quickly rose from her seat to assist the customers, her fingers softly grazed through Foggy's blonde hair as she passed by.

Matt smiled, knowing his best friend kept his "heart eyes" (as Iris called them) on the enchanting baker that's captured his heart.

"You must really like her a lot if you trust her with this kind of information." Matt spoke quietly, sounding more calm and understanding.

Foggy's eyes turned downcast in guilt before facing Matt again. "I'm really sorry, Matt. You _know_ I wouldn't announce it to the world, or tell just _anyone._"

He paused to gaze at Lucy, who was chatting with a middle aged couple while showing them her delicious creations. He felt his heart practically dancing when her eyes shifted towards him and she gave a blushing radiant smile.

"I'm in love with her." Foggy continued softly, not realizing he voiced his feelings out loud; his eyes still on Lucy. "I've never felt this way about _anyone_ before, man. I know it's crazy and it's sudden, I mean we'd only met _yesterday_! But the moment I saw her, it just hit me like I got punched with lightning or something. I know this feeling I have is real. I mean, sometimes you just _know _as soon as it hits you, you know?"

"Yeah." Matt softly replied in complete understanding. "I know _exactly _how you feel."

Foggy's eyes widened as he snapped out of his love daze. "Oh shit, how _is_ Iris? Is she okay?!" Foggy didn't notice his voice had raised in alarm, catching the attention of the two remaining customers in the bakery.

"I would _also_ like to know how Iris is doing, Matt." Lucy chimed in as she walked towards the middle aged couple to deliver their treats.

Matt hesitated, "It's...a little personal. Actually it's _extremely _personal...and..disturbing." He finished with a strained angry grimace.

Foggy's eyes narrowed in concern as he leaned towards his friend. "What's wrong? She _is _in trouble, isn't she?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Lucy rushed to their table and yanked back the chair next to Foggy to take a seat. "What's going on with my best friend, Matt?" She asked, sounding more serious and intimidating than either of the two men have heard yet.

Matt, while touched by their concern, was still hesitant. "I don't know if I should really say. It's bad enough that _I _know when she hasn't actually told me herself. It's.." Matt felt his throat tighten and his eyes dampen at how painful it was to hear everything Iris had said. "It's _horrible._"

Foggy and Lucy stiffened at Matt's words, trying to imagine what it was that Matt knew.

"Matt, we care about Iris, too." Lucy replied.

Foggy fervently agreed. "Seriously, man. I've only known Iris for a day and a half, but if _anything_ happened to her, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself!"

Foggy didn't realize how loud his voice carried until he heard how silent the bakery got. The middle aged couple clearly heard Foggy's passionate statement, because without a second thought, they jumped out of their seats and bolted out the door.

Matt, Foggy and Lucy were alone once more.

Foggy bashfully asked, "Do you think they heard me?"

Matt's eyebrows raised in perplexity while Lucy let out a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, sweetie. I think they did." She said with a pat on his head.

Foggy shrugged, "Well, I said what I said. But that's not important right now." He leaned towards Matt once more. "Please tell us. We want to help Iris, too."

Matt sat quietly, contemplating his decision before faintly replying, "Okay."

* * *

_Iris_

Claire's impromptu checkup was relatively quick and painless. I cringed at her sympathetic gaze as she examined all the bruises and scars on my body, I felt embarrassed that she saw the extent of what he had done to me. She was considerate enough to not dwell on it, for now anyway. She did, however, diagnose the bruised ribs I didn't realize I had. That explains why that hideous bruise on my torso hasn't healed yet. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about that, except to take it easy and let it heal naturally, which will apparently take six weeks at the most.

After the exam was over, Claire gave me a prescription for some pain relief and antibiotics, as well as demanding I get some sleep.

After promising Claire I would rest on the condition that she stopped by the bakery for any treat on the house, I hugged her goodbye and exited the hospital.

I still wasn't ready to go home yet. Not only out of fear of the lingering nightmares, but also out of fear of facing Matt. Despite Claire's reassuring words, I still felt doubtful about whether or not he'll want anything to do with me. I still can't get over the crushed look on his face when I walked away from him. But maybe Claire's right. I should just swallow my pride and talk to him. I owe him that much.

I snapped out of my inner thoughts and paused in my aimless wandering when I heard music in the air. I turned to the right of me, in the direction the music came from, and saw the tall building with the red neon sign in the shape of a guitar that read _Guitar Center_.

My fingers twitched with an aching need that I've repressed for far too long, my feet made the decision for me and led me inside the music store.

A wave of euphoria flowed through me as I took in the view of various instruments as far as the eye can see. The sound of live instruments playing sounding more and more prominent.

I walked further into the store towards the music until I found a small group of three guys and a young woman just lounging around. They all had a unique style, mix of rock & roll edge with a wild and colorful bohemian flair. The choices of instruments were oddly mismatched. The woman, who had a rockabilly style, was on her feet playing an upright bass, one guy was playing the violin, the second was playing an acoustic guitar, and the third guy sat on the floor playing a tambourine with drum sticks like it was a mini drum set. This was such an odd and fascinating mix of musicians, I couldn't help but be drawn to them.

My eyes drifted past them and landed on a beautiful red upright piano. My fingers twitched with the urge to play. Should I? It's been so long since I've touched a piano, I was afraid that I would be so rusty that I really _would_ sound as mediocre as _he _always said I did.

_**Well He was an asshole who didn't want you to enjoy anything that didn't involve him. Play the damn piano. It's been too long since we've done anything we were passionate about. We deserve this. **_**You **_**deserve this!**_

My feet obeyed my thoughts quicker than I did as I now found myself seated in front of the piano. I barely noticed the quirky musicians go quiet next to me, all I could really hear was my heartbeat thumping in my ears. My hands trembled as I delicately caressed the keys, saying hello to an old friend.

Without any more hesitation, my muscle memory kicked in as I played the beginning notes of the first song my mom taught me. I started slowly at first, then my fingers sped up as the song began to build up. I could faintly hear the jingles of the tambourine, and it was quickly followed by the instruments of the musicians next to me. One of the musicians started singing, the lyrics confirming that they were playing my song alongside me.

_She comes in colors everywhere_

_She combs her hair_

_She's like a rainbow_

_Coming, colors in the air_

_Oh, everywhere_

_She comes in colors_

I looked over my shoulder towards the quirky group. The man with the guitar, who had his long hair tied back and wore a red Hawaiian shirt with black jean, met my eyes and nodded with a smile, signaling me to continue playing.

My heart was dancing as I played on, my confidence growing more and more. I didn't even bother holding back the beaming smile from my face, as I played the music box-sounding notes on the keys. My eyes began to mist from the pure joy of doing something I thought I'd never be allowed to do again. I continued playing, with an energy and passion that have waited years to be reawakened.

_Have you seen her dressed in blue?_

_See the sky in front of you_

_And her face is like a sail_

_Speck of white so fair and pale_

_Have you seen a lady fairer?_

_She comes in colors everywhere_

_She combs her hair_

_She's like a rainbow_

_Coming, colors in the air_

_Oh, everywhere_

_She comes in colors_

Oh how I wish Mom was here with me, she would've loved to hear me play her favorite song again.

_Have you seen her all in gold?_

_Like a queen in days of old_

_She shoots colors all around_

_Like a sunset going down_

_Have you seen a lady fairer?_

_She comes in colors everywhere_

_She combs her hair_

_She's like a rainbow_

_Coming, colors in the air_

_Oh, everywhere_

_She comes in colors_

I wish Matt was here too. Would he like hearing me play? Would he say he loved it? Would he ask me to play more? Would he want to sit beside me as I played? Oh how I wished I knew for sure.

_She's like a rainbow_

_Coming, colors in the air_

_Oh, everywhere_

_She comes in colors_

The room went quiet as the final notes faded in the air. The quiet didn't last long, though, as a few patrons of the store had started applauding; I didn't even realize we had actually drawn an audience. My face heated up, my cheeks flushed bright red amongst my pale skin. It's been so long since I've played in front of everyone, I forgot how amazing it felt to get a positive response.

The musicians that accompanied me nodded with approval at me, and that simple gesture warmed my heart with a sense of belonging.

The tambourine man, who wore heavy eyeliner and a wildly colorful abstract shirt with leather pants, stood up to sit next to me on the bench and eagerly asked, "Play us another song, darling?"

I hesitated for a second, not used to getting such a request. "I'm not sure what you would like to hear." I replied meekly.

"Anything you want." The violinist replied. He wore black and white striped pants with a fitted pink and blue paisley buttoned shirt topped with a black bow tie and a black vest. "Just start playing and we'll follow along."

My brows furrowed in concern, "What if you don't know the song?"

"We don't need to," The guitarist spoke up. "We just let the music guide us through."

The pinup bassist sweetly chimed in, "That's how we always play, so don't even worry about that, dollface. Play us something."

I took a second to think over what other songs I knew before I started playing with my musical acquaintances for the next couple of hours.

* * *

After we were done playing together in the music store, my new friends dragged me along with them to an indie record store that also had a small cafe inside.

I easily lost track of time, I was too caught up in my new friends; the sun had already set by the time we had all parted ways. I left the record store with a bag full of new CDs, a chocolate chip muffin for the walk home, four new phone numbers added on my phone, and a smile of contentment on my face.

Claire was right. I wasn't alone in this anymore. I don't _have _to be.

My thoughts drifted back to Matt. The thought of telling him the truth terrified me still. I want so badly to let him in, but I can't help but let that shred of doubt nudge it's way into my mind.

_**Can he accept me completely? Will he judge me for what I've done? Will he hate me for lying? Or will he still want to help me?**_

I was too lost in my thoughts, I wasn't alert enough to notice I was being watched, and also being followed.

I felt a hand grab my arm in a painful grip as I was yanked into a dark alley, a second hand covered my mouth before I had a chance to scream for help.

_**Oh god. He found me! How the hell did he find me?! He's gonna kill me before I can even tell Matt how sorry I am. I didn't even get to see Mom. I wish I had actually spoken to her-**_

My thoughts were cut off when an unfamiliar voice growled from my captor. "Give me your money _now_, and you won't get hurt."

_**Oh thank god, it's only a mugger!**_ My body sagged in relief.

The man then held a knife against my throat, causing me to stiffen up again. _**Oh shit, it's a mugger!**_

I started to panic as I struggled to get out of his grasp, biting hard into his hand in the process.

The mugger growled in anger as he moved his now free hand into my hair, yanking it to the point where I feared it would be pulled out of my scalp.

"You fuckin bitch!" He sneered as he shoved my face against the wall.

I was hyperventilating at this point, unable to hold back the tears that flowed down my face. "Please let me go! I don't have any money!" I pleaded desperately.

The mugger then pressed himself against my back, pressing his groin into my back.

"Then I'm just gonna have to get something else from you, huh?" He replied as he licked my ear, my body shivered in fear and disgust.

Then suddenly the pressure from his body was lifted abruptly as he was pulled off me and thrown against the wall.

I quickly turned around and was staring in stunned silence as I saw my mugger getting his ass handed to him by a mysterious man dressed in head to toe black. The man in black moved with speed and grace as he punched and kicked the mugger around like a ninja. The mugger tried to get some hits in, but he never stood a chance. The man in black hurled him against the wall, landing a foot away from me.

I shrieked in surprise as the mugger grabbed my ankle. I kicked and stomped repeatedly on his wrist, but he wouldn't budge. The man in black rushed to my aid and pulled the mugger away from me. He let out a growl of anger as he threw him against the opposite wall.

"Keep your hands off of her!" The man in black threatened, his voice low and deep with rage, sending thrilling shivers down my spine.

He knocked the mugger out with one last anger-fueled punch, causing said mugger to collapse like a jenga tower. He squatted down towards the mugger and proceeded to restrain his hands and feet, causing the mugger to start twitching back into consciousness, prompting the man in black to deliver one more knockout punch to the face.

My breathing slowed down as he stood up and turned to face me. My heart started to beat faster as he started walking tentatively towards me. I took in his full appearance before me. He stood almost a foot taller than me, his fitted black outfit did nothing to hide his muscular build that my eyes struggled to stray from. The top half of his face was covered by the thick black fabric that tied around his head, leaving the bottom half visible; which of course drew my attention to those perfect full lips of his.

Perfect full lips that started speaking.

"Are you okay?" His deep voice was gentle with concern.

I shakily nodded, taking a deep breath as I replied. "I am, thanks to you."

He tilted his head as his hand reached toward the side of my face that had been shoved against the wall. Even though his hand was gloved in thick material, my cheek came alive with a spark of electricity at his gentle touch.

"Are you hurt?" He asked with genuine concern.

My heart skipped a beat as his kindness reminded me of a certain neighbor, causing my eyes to water. "No, I'm fine." I replied.

His head tilted once more as he asked with uncertainty. "Are you sure? He made you hit that wall pretty hard." His thumb gave gentle featherlight caresses across my newly bruised cheek.

I gave a shrug and replied tensely, "I've had worse."

His whole body stiffened at my answer, he was close enough for me to hear him grind his teeth. I could just barely hear him mutter angrily under his breath, "I know."

My brows wrinkled in confusion at what he could have meant by that. Before I could question him, though, he slowly began to step away from me, his lingering fingers grazing my cheek until he dropped his hand completely.

"You should go home." He declared when he stood an extra couple feet away from me. "And be careful. The city's dangerous at this time of night."

"Okay." I readily agreed. He started to turn around to walk away, prompting me to call out, "Hey!"

He abruptly stopped in his tracks, tilting his head once more to patiently listen.

"Thank you. You saved my life." I finished, my voice heavy with gratitude.

I could just barely see the side of his mouth rise into a small smile as he replied, "You're welcome. Please be safe."

And with that, he disappeared into the shadows. I didn't waste another second to bolt out of the alley and rush home.

* * *

I finally made it back to the familiar apartment building and didn't stop running until I made it safely inside the elevator. Now that I had stopped and taken a breath, I began to feel the lead weight my legs had become; along with the exhaustion from lack of sleep and the series of events from this long day hitting me all at once. I _definitely _needed to go to sleep.

I got off the elevator on my floor and tiredly stumbled to my door. Before I unlocked it, I turned my attention towards Matt's apartment. My run in with the mugger gave me a serious wake up call. I can't keep wasting time being miserable and alone like this. I need to talk to Matt and tell him the truth, or forever wish I did. But not tonight. Not when I already felt dead on my feet. Tomorrow. I'll tell him first thing tomorrow.

With my decision set in my mind, I entered my apartment and locked the door before I stumbled to my bed and finally succumbed to sleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning feeling far more rested than the day before. I slept so heavily, I couldn't even remember if I dreamed, much to my relief. I got up to brush my teeth and get dressed for the day, but not before texting Lucy to let her know I needed an extra day off, which she happily replied was no problem at all.

I could feel my stomach twist and tangle in anxiety at how this conversation with Matt can possibly turn out; I was ready to throw up. I was determined, but still terrified to tell him everything. I hate how scared I am about this. Matt has been nothing but sweet to me, I should feel comfortable enough to talk to him. But with the way I've acted towards him, and the weight of my secret, will he even _want _anything to do with me again?

My thoughts were interrupted by music playing muffled through the wall connecting my apartment to Matt's. It was the beginning notes to The Four Tops' "_Reach Out I'll Be There",_ as if he knew what was going through my mind

_Now if you feel that you can't go on (can't go on)_

_Because all of your hope is gone (all your hope is gone)_

_And your life is filled with much confusion (much confusion)_

_Until happiness is just an illusion (happiness is just an illusion)_

_And your world around is crumbling down, darlin'_

_(Reach out) Come on girl reach on out for me_

_(Reach out) Reach out for me_

_Hah, I'll be there with a love that will shelter you_

_I'll be there with a love that will see you through_

My eye started tearing up again as I paid attention to the lyrics. Was Matt trying to tell me something through this song, or am I just reading too much into it?

_When you feel lost and about to give up (to give up)_

_'Cause your best just ain't good enough (just ain't good enough)_

_And your feel the world has grown cold (has grown cold)_

_And your drifting out all on your own (drifting out on your own)_

_And you need a hand to hold, darlin'_

_(Reach out) Come on girl, reach out for me_

_(Reach out) Reach out for me_

_Hah, I'll be there to love and comfort you_

_And I'll be there to cherish and care for you_

_(I'll be there to always see you through)_

_(I'll be there to love and comfort you)_

My heart was beating uncontrollably, my skin riddled with goosebumps. Matt doesn't usually play music out loud, and now he plays this song. He was definitely telling me something, and the song couldn't spell it out anymore clearly.

_I can tell the way you hang your head (hang your head)_

_You're not in love now, now you're afraid (you're afraid)_

_And through your tears you look around (look around)_

_But there's no peace of mind to be found (no peace of mind to be found)_

_I know what your thinking_

_You're a loner, no love of your own, but darling_

_(Reach out) Come on girl reach out for me_

_Reach out, just look over your shoulder_

_I'll be there to give you all the love you need_

_And I'll be there you can always depend on me_

_I'll be there_

_Don't worry_

More determined than ever, I finished getting dressed and bolted out the door, and walked straight to Matt's door.

My palms began to sweat, but I forced myself to stay strong as I rose my hand up and knocked on the door. The footsteps I could hear coming towards the other side of the door matched the heavy heartbeat within my chest. The door opened revealing Matt, dressed in grey sweatpants with the ends tucked into his grey tube socks, a navy blue hoodie zipped up but revealing a peak of a white t-shirt, his hair combed back and slightly wet from the shower he must've just taken; and for the first time since I've met him, his eyes were free of his usual red sunglasses, revealing his deep soulful brown eyes. He looked more beautiful than ever, and it simply took my breath away.

"Hi, Matt." I spoke before I lost my nerve, keeping my focus on the task at hand.

Matt's perfect lips rose in a soft and sweet smile. "Hi, Iris. Are you okay?" He asked, being the sweet gentleman he is.

"Yeah, I'm-" I started to automatically say before I cut myself off. Honesty. I have to start with honesty. I took a deep breath before I continued meekly, "No. I'm actually _not _okay. I haven't been for a long time."

Matt frowned in concern and sympathy. I spoke up once more, "That's actually why I came to see you. Can we talk? I mean, if I'm not taking up your time of course. I can always come back later if this isn't a good time."

Matt rushed to respond before I considered backing off, "You're not taking up my time, I'd love to talk to you. Please come in." He opened his door wider to welcome me inside.

I stepped inside the apartment for the first time and noticed the space was almost identical to mine in terms of size, minimal amount of furniture as well.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Matt asked, being a gracious host. "I don't have much except for beer and water, or I can make some coffee if you'd like."

I shook my head with a smile, "No thank you, I'm fine."

He then directed me towards the couch in the center of the room and took a seat with enough space apart to face each other. My hands started shaking as I tried to figure out what to say first. I decided the best to start with was an apology.

"I'm sorry." I began as I shifted to face him. "For yesterday. The way I acted was inexcusable."

Matt shook his head, "You don't have to apologize, Iris."

I fervently replied, "Yes I do. You've been nothing but kind and gentle to me, and I've been so terrible in comparison. You were so concerned about me and wanted to help me, and I repaid you by pushing you away and being so rude to you. You deserved better than that, and I'm so sorry, I'd understand if you didn't want anything to do with me ever again. I wouldn't want anything to do with me either-"

"Iris, stop." He cut me off as he grabbed my hands in comfort. "I hate hearing you degrade yourself like that. You're not a bad person. You're a sweet and wonderful person, who has clearly been through something painful. And as long as you'll let me, I'd really like to stay by your side more and help you in any way I can."

My fingers gripped tightly to his hands, my eyes powerless to keep the oncoming tears at bay.

I took another deep breath before I finally got to the point. "You were right." I started. "I _am _in trouble. I _did _go through something painful. I…"

Matt squeezed my hands slightly tighter in reassurance. "It's okay, you can tell me." He spoke with the utmost gentleness.

I used that bit of encouragement to finally reach the point of no return.

"His name is Paul." Matt cocked his head in curiosity before I continued.

"My husband." There it is. No turning back now. "He was hurting me. All the time." My throat began to tighten at the memories. "At first he was so charming, sweet, loving. I thought he was so handsome and mysterious. He swept me off my feet instantly. Always doting on me, gave me gifts. I never really cared that he had money though, I just cared that he made me feel so loved, like I was all that mattered. When Mom had her stroke, I was devastated. It was just her and me, she was the only family I had left and I didn't know how to take care of her. I was 20 years old, working minimum wage, I had no idea what to do. And Paul came in like a knight in shining armor. He paid for Mom to stay in one of the best nursing homes, he proposed to me and promised to move her in with us and provide a nurse to help me take care of her. He promised to make me so happy and loved." I let out a scoff at my naïveté from back then. "I believed him of course. I married him in this big, expensive, show off ceremony he insisted we had to have. I was so in love and stupidly happy. I thought, 'Life couldn't possibly get any more perfect.' And it didn't."

I looked away from Matt with a frown as I delved even further into the worst years of my life. "As soon as we came back from our honeymoon, everything changed. He had little obsessive compulsive quirks I didn't know about before. The towels always had to hang perfectly neat and even on the rack. The cans in the cupboard had to be stacked neatly with the labels facing out. The house had to be completely spotless. The table had to be set appropriately. I learned the hard way how much he hated rules being forgotten."

Matt's body tensed up and his hands started shaking over mine. I continued further. "You could probably guess that he never followed through on his promise to move my mom in with us. His reasoning was that he loved me so much that he wanted to keep me all for himself." I shook my head in disgust. "That's also the reason we never had kids. He hates kids and hates the idea of someone stealing my attention away from him even worse. He got a vasectomy a month before we got married." I cleared my throat to swallow down the lump of tears in my throat. "He took away my mom, my chance of _being_ a mom, my music, my spirit. It didn't take much to set him off and punish me as he saw fit. I was dying in there. He had been killing me slowly for three years."

Matt's voice cracked as he finally spoke up. "Oh god Iris, I'm so sorry." He shifted a hand to intertwine our fingers together. "How did you get out of there?"

I knew he would ask me that. This was the part I dreaded. "I tried calling the police. A lawyer too. They were no help whatsoever. The best they offered was a restraining order. As if that would keep him away. I realized the only one who could help me was _me. _So I made the necessary arrangements I needed to make, and I escaped."

Matt looked skeptical like he knew I wasn't elaborating enough. "Is he looking for you?"

I shook my head, "No. He couldn't possibly be looking for me. He has no idea what I did."

His face scrunched in confusion. "That doesn't make sense. How could he not be looking for you? How could he not know you left?"

My heart was beating rapidly as I took a deeper breath and replied.

"Because he thinks I'm dead."

* * *

**Annnnd that's chapter 7! Chapter 8 will come A LOT SOONER this time around and it's gonna be a flashback chapter. It's gonna be rough, so be ready. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. PLEASE comment what you thought of the chapter, I get so excited reading reviews and they really make my day! Well that's all for now. Until next time...*kiss noise***


	8. Runaway

**WARNING: This chapter is Rated MATURE; it contains descriptive and graphic scenes of abuse. Please refrain from reading if this dark content bothers you. Proceed with caution**

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry it took me forever to update. Life sucks sometimes, ya know? But anywho, I'm back! Okay so this is it. The Chapter. This is the story y'all have been waiting to hear You're gonna learn a lot about Iris, and I am again issuing the warning of the dark content in this chapter as stated above. I did mention before that it's not gonna be pretty what happened to Iris, and I meant it. You've been warned. The song inspiration for this chapter and the chapter's title is the song Runaway by Bon Jovi, and the song featured in this chapter is Dream of a Witches Sabbath from Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. Enough of my rambling, on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Runaway**

_10 Days Ago_

_It was a beautiful sunny afternoon on the beach, one of the rare days I had actual time to myself. Paul had left early this morning, work I'm assuming. Not that it really mattered to me, I got to pretend I truly had the place to myself for the majority of the day. The house, though was suffocating beyond belief, so I spent that time outside near the water digging for clams to make for dinner tonight. _

_I sat on the sand looking out into the ocean, feeling a moment of peace even though I was always terrified of the ocean, but I loved feeling the ocean breeze blow through my waist length blonde hair. I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard someone walking towards me. Paul was home. My time of peace had ended. _

"_Good afternoon, Princess." Paul's deep voice greeted me with a kindness I wished was real. _

_I looked up at him with my practiced smile painted on my face as I looked over his three piece royal blue suit. "I love a man dressed for clamming." I gently teased. _

_He chuckled as he squatted down to my level. "I had to take care of some work in the office." He then frowned in displeasure. "And on our vacation no less. Can you ever forgive me?"_

_Luckily that was one of the easiest things to forgive when it came to him. I simply smiled at him with a nod. _

"_What do you think?" I asked, lifting up the heavy bucket filled to the brim with fresh clams. "I thought they'd be great for supper tonight. Cook them in some white wine, maybe toss it in some linguine?"_

_Paul frowned in discouragement. "I went out for clams for lunch after my meeting ended." Paul hated eating the same food more than once on the same day. He shook his head in remorse."And after all your hard work."_ _He then_ _let out a dejecting shrug, "It's okay. I'll just have them again." He rose up to leave for the house. _

_I rushed to stand up and call out, "No, it's okay!" He turned to face me. "I can just dig fresh ones up tomorrow!" I finished with a grin that hopefully was bright enough to show him I was happy to do it, and to ease the temper that was sure to rise if I didn't accommodate him. _

_It appeared to work as his face relaxed into a satisfied smile. Crisis averted. _

_He strutted towards me until he stood right in front of me. His intimidating 6'1 frame towering over my 5'2. _

"_I missed you this morning, Princess." He said as he leaned down and claimed my lips in a kiss that once upon a time gave me butterflies. _

_He pulled me into his arms and held me in a loving embrace. I closed my eyes for a second, dreaming that this side of him was real and constant. The tide hitting my feet reminded me I had spent the day in the sand and water. I abruptly pulled away and sure enough to my horror, I had gotten sand all over the front of Paul's suit. _

"_Oh no, look what I've done." I said apologetically as I tried my hardest to wipe the offending sand off his expensive suit. _

_Paul was surprisingly calm. "That's alright. I was already going to change." He replied as he held up my left hand to kiss my wedding ring. He turned and made his way to the house, wiping the sand off his suit along the way. _

_I let my smile drop as I dumped the clams into the water, letting the tide drag them away. I took a deep breath of the ocean air before I started my walk back to the house to find something new to make for dinner. _

* * *

_I was in the kitchen prepping the food for dinner; I opened the cupboard to look for the garlic sea salt, and my stomach dropped when I noticed how unorganized the cans were. I'm sure Paul hadn't noticed yet, I would have been told about it otherwise. I rose up on the tips of my toes and rushed to reorganize the cans, adjusting them to have the labels facing forward. It was a struggle to reach, but Paul doesn't want me to have my legs on the counter. I would've grabbed the stool, but then he definitely would have noticed my mistake, and I've managed to go all day without being punished so far. _

"_What's for supper?" I jumped at Paul's voice that whispered in my ear right behind me. _

_Luckily the cans were now organized and I found the garlic salt. _

_He held me close from behind, I gave him a shaky smile as I replied, "Roast lamb seasoned in garlic and rosemary. With creamed spinach and brown butter radishes."_

"_Sounds wonderful." He stated with approval, his hands rubbing up and down my sides. _

"_I was going to make that herb bread you like so much." I finished with a compliant smile. __**Keep him happy. Just keep him happy. **_

"_I can hardly wait." He replied, kissing me a kiss on my cheek. _

_He pulled away and directed his attention outside where he saw a man outfitting a sailboat on the dock. _

"_Looks like we got a new neighbor." Paul said as he made his way out the door. "I'm going to say hi."_

_I let out a breath of relief at the extra bit of time to myself and continued preparing our meal. _

* * *

_Paul_

"_You must be our new next door neighbor!" Paul called out to the young man who was just stepping out of his boat. _

"_Hi!" The young man replied with a smile. He walked towards Paul to shake his hand. "I'm Dr. Todd Bishop."_

"_Paul Burney." Paul replied with a firm handshake. _

_Todd nodded his head at Paul's house. "That beautiful glass mansion yours?"_

_Paul chuckled at the description, "It sure is."_

_Todd smiled, "So that must've been your wife that was looking at me through the window today. Beautiful wife and the best house on the beach. You're a lucky man."_

_Paul's body stiffened, his smile more strained. "Yeah, that's my Princess." He clenched and unclenched his fists before he changed the subject, nodding at the sail boat. "That's a beautiful racer you have." _

"_Thanks! You a boating man too?" Todd asked. _

_Paul shook his head. "No, I wish. I've always wanted a boat. I've always wanted to go sailing."_

"_Wife got your balls in a vice, huh?" Todd asked, nudging at Paul in amusement. _

_Paul narrowed his eyes at the neighbor. "No. My wife hates sailing. She's terrified of the water. Nearly drowned when she was a child."_

_Todd sobered up his amusement. "Oh man, I'm sorry." He then perked up. "Hey, I'm sailing at around 7 tonight. I actually checked the weather for tonight, it's supposed to be super calm and smooth out in the ocean. Great weather for sailing. It would be perfect for you and your wife to come join me and ease her into it."_

_Paul, not willing to turn down the chance to do something he wanted, nodded in agreement. "Sounds great. I'll press it to her gently."_

_Paul then made his way back to the house to have a chat with his wife. _

* * *

_Iris_

_I had the lamb in the oven, the radishes were chopped and ready to cook on the stove. I was mixing the cream for the spinach when I heard the door open, Paul was back. _

"_I just spoke with our neighbor." He started. I could feel his eyes burning into my back. "He's a good looking man, the doctor."_

"_Doctor?" I asked out of curiosity. _

"_He said I have a beautiful house. 'Best on the beach'." Paul replied stiffly as I heard him walking towards me. The room went dead silent with tension. "When was he in here, Princess? This morning? While I was at work?"_

_My stomach twisted and my heart stopped at where I knew this was heading. I turned to face him. _

"_Paul, sweetheart, I don't know the doctor." I replied, my voice shaky and my body trembling. It didn't matter that I was telling the truth though. _

"_Sure you do." He replied, his voice low and deep with an underlying rage. "Young, handsome, outfitting his sailboat next door. Says you've been staring at him through the window all day."_

_SMACK!_

_Nothing could've prepared me for the excessive force he put into his fist as he backhanded me. The impact causing me to scream as I was knocked down to the floor, spilling the cream mixture all over me and the floor. I burst into tears as I felt the extreme pain in my temple. _

_Paul looked down at me in disgust. His face twisted with rage. "Does it give you so much pleasure to humiliate me?!"_

_I shook my head no as I tried to control my tears. My crying only served to anger Paul even more. _

"_STOP IT!" He roared as he then gave a harsh kick to my stomach, making me cry out even more. _

_Paul looked down at his foot, his anger rising even more at seeing the spilt cream on his shoe. _

"_NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" He yelled, kicking me once more. _

_I made the mistake of hastily crawling away, or at least trying to. Unfortunately, I didn't make it far. _

"_Where do you think _you're _going, you little whore?!" He growled as he delivered a third kick to my stomach, making me collapse on my stomach. _

_I was crying so hard, I thought I was going to throw up. Paul grabbed me by my hair and dragged me across the floor. _

"_No! Paul please! I'm sorry!" I wailed and pleaded. My words were obscured by my hysterical crying. _

_Paul didn't listen, nor did he care. He hurled me to the floor, letting go of my hair but had yanked some strands out of my scalp at the process. He grabbed my arm in a death grip and gave me a backhanded smack once more, this time cutting my lip from the impact of his ring. _

_I curled into a ball, feeling broken and bruised. Paul started to calm down. _

"_Now you're going to sulk." He calmly declared as he crouched down to my level. _

"_No!" I weakly cried out, terrified he was going to start up again. _

"_Yes you will." He replied, almost taunting me. _

"_No I won't." I sobbed, begging for him to not hurt me anymore. _

"_Yes you will." He said with false pity as he caressed my bruised and bloody face. "You'll pout, and spoil our supper. Our beautiful supper." _

_He gently sat me up and ironically tried to calm me down. _

"_There, you're okay. Can you smile for me?" He asked me, like he's always asked me after these moments "Come on, give me a smile, Princess." He cooed. _

_I forced my lips to rise up in a pitiful excuse for a smile. It was enough to please Paul as he kissed my cheek. _

"_I'm sorry." Another one of his empty apologies. "Now, we're going to join your doctor friend on his sailboat tonight." _

_I stiffened in fear of going out in the ocean. Paul was quick to respond. "Now, now, I'll have none of that, okay?" He spoke to me sternly like I was a child. "I know you're afraid. What happened to you as a child was terrible. But we can't spend the rest of our lives hiding from what we're afraid of, now can we? We have to face our fears. And it's about time you faced yours. But don't you worry, Princess. I'm going to be by your side the entire time. Okay?"_

_I stared blankly into nothing as I gave a shaky nod to please him. _

_He smiled and kissed my cheek before he stood up to leave. "I'll be back later."_

_And I was alone once more. _

_I numbly reached up to grab a hold of the counter to pull myself up. The pain from his kicks shot through my body instantly and caused me to stumble back to the floor. I allowed myself to break down into the sobbing mess Paul didn't want to see. _

_I wished Mom was here. I wanted her to hug me and protect me from Paul like how she protected me from the imaginary monsters that lived under my bed. _

_**She can't save you anymore. Nobody can. You've got to save yourself. Now wipe your tears and get up and do what needs to be done. **_

_I quickly composed myself and wiped my tears before I pulled myself up, ignoring the stabbing pain I felt in my body. I proceeded to clean up the mess that was made, put together a new batch of cream for the spinach, and cleaned my wounds. _

* * *

_While dinner was cooking, I took a moment to go outside while Paul was still gone. I walked out in front of the house where the row of lamp posts stood high above me. I bent down to grab a handful of pebbles and concentrated my aim on the two lamp posts that stood in front of the house. _

_I held my breath as I threw the first rock and succeeded in breaking one lamp. One down, one to go. I threw the second rock. I missed. I held my breath once more as I hurled the third rock at the lamp, breaking the second lamp. I let out a sigh of relief and rushed back into the house. Paul should be home any minute. _

* * *

_I was sitting on the couch looking out the window when I heard the door open and shut. I closed my eyes in dread knowing what was next. _

"_Bonjour, Mon Amour." Paul greeted lovingly as he came up behind me, presenting a bouquet of roses, even though he knew that daisies were my favorite flowers. _

"_They're beautiful." I commented flatly without actually looking at them. _

_He walked around to kneel in front of me, handing me a small gift wrapped boxed. _

"_I'm sorry we quarreled." He apologized. Just another one of his empty apologies for our 'quarrels'. _

_I said nothing as I unwrapped the gift. I opened the box, revealing a silky red slip dress. _

"_If you don't like it, I can return it." Paul offered gently. _

"_No, I do. I love it." I replied with my practiced smile on my face. _

_My response made a satisfied smile rise on his face. He held out his hand for me to take, pulling me off the couch and into his arms. I wrapped my arms loosely around him in an embrace; then I felt his hand unzip my white dress. _

_I closed my eyes briefly, this was the part I always dreaded. _

_He slid my dress down to the floor, leaving me in only my panties in the middle of the living room. He took the red slip from my hands and I held my arms up as he slid the silk material on me. _

"_It's not too early for this?" He asked as he rubbed his hands all over my silk restrained body, pulling me into a dominating kiss. _

* * *

_The only sounds present in our bedroom was the music of that terrifying _Symphonie Fantastique, _and Paul's grunts as he's vigorously thrusting into me. _

_My eyes were shut tightly waiting for this to be over. _

_Sex with Paul was sometimes more painful than being beaten. I never once had any pleasure from the act, he never cared to give me any. It not only hurt, it made me feel used and dirty. _

_He bit into my shoulder as his violent thrusts sped up even faster, until he finally stopped and slumped over me, climaxing inside me. He lifted his head from my shoulder, I quickly curled my lips into a smile to show that he pleased me. _

_I was just pleased that it was over. _

_Paul rose up from the bed to take a shower, leaving me a few minutes of peace. I dropped the smile and reached for the sheet to wrap protectively around me, covering my shame. I gazed longingly out the window, praying tonight goes as planned. _

* * *

_Paul was seated at the table on the patio overlooking the ocean as I arrived carrying our plates full of the dinner I prepared. _

_As I sat down to eat, Paul's eyes burned into me. _

"_You want something." He stated with a knowing smirk. "I know my Princess. What is it?"_

_I cleared my throat before I responded. "Mrs. Roberts from the music store called me. She said they can use me Full Time now."_

_Paul shook his head. "Out of the question. You already work three mornings a week, and I respected that. Especially since I know how much you love music. But what about our home? Don't you love our home as much?" He asked, trying to make me feel guilty. _

_I clenched my fists under the table as I innocently asked. "Has your dinner been late to the table even once?"_

"_Oh I remember a time it was late." He replied with an accusing stare. "About two days."_

_I let out a sigh of frustration. "That was six months ago, Paul. My mom was all I had. And I'll never forgive myself for not bringing her here to live with us."_

_He gave a comforting smile. "Don't beat yourself up. You've always treated her with love."_

_My voice cracked, "She _died_, Paul. How could I not go to her funeral?"_

"_If you had told me, I would've taken you, and give me a chance to pay my last respects. But you sneaked off into the night." He finished with a condescending sneer. _

"_I didn't sneak off." I replied in defense. _

_Paul spoke through gritted teeth. "Need I remind you how I worried?"_

"_No." I snapped. "You reminded me enough the night I came back." _

_That night left so many scars that would never fade. _

_Paul stiffened. "You're not suggesting I enjoyed that?"_

_I scoffed, feeling stupidly bold. "God, no. That would make you a monster."_

_The tension in the air could be cut with a knife at that point. _

_Paul let out a chuckle. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to provoke another quarrel so you wouldn't have to go sailing tonight. But that's a conversation we'll have later when we get back tonight." _

_My blood went cold at the meaning behind those words. I had to force myself to eat at most half of what was on my plate. _

_**Tonight. **_

* * *

_The sun was setting by the time I was dressed for sailing. I looked out at what I hoped would be my last sunset in this horrible place. _

_I looked down at the small bronze sculpture of a woman playing the piano. _

"_Remember our honeymoon?" Paul asked as he came up behind me. "I bought that for you. And I taught you how to dance."_

"_Those were the happiest days of my whole life." I replied on autopilot, the words as empty as I felt. _

_Paul lifted up my hand to kiss my wedding ring. "We'll always be together, Princess. Nothing will keep us apart." He smiled. "Let's go. It's time."_

_**It certainly is. **_

* * *

_Paul_

_What was supposed to be 'perfect weather for sailing' ended up being the complete opposite. It was one of the worst storms of the year so far. _

"_I thought you said the weather was supposed to be calm!" I yelled over the harsh winds to Todd. _

"_It was! I don't know what happened! Just a little squall I guess!" Todd replies. _

_Paul looked over at his wife who was sitting at the rear of the boat, shaking head to toe in fear and grasping the railing like her life depended on it. _

"_Don't worry, Princess! Everything is going to be fine! Just hold on, okay?" He called out to her. _

_She gave a shaky nod, holding the railing even tighter. _

_The winds blew even harder, causing the rope to one of the sails to come loose. _

"_Shit!" Todd yelled as he rushed over to the sail. He turned to Paul. "I need your help, man!"_

"_I'll be right back, Princess!" Paul called out behind him as he ran from the helm to help Todd. _

_The storm raged on even harder as the two men struggled to tie up the sail, causing the boat to rock harshly back and forth. The boat rocked so hard, it nearly tipped all the way over, causing Todd to almost fall overboard. Paul was quick to reach for him and were both able to remain aboard. _

_They finally got the rope tied down tightly enough to keep it secure. Todd was checking the other ropes when Paul looked over to see how his wife was holding up. _

_Only to find an empty space where she was sitting!_

_Paul's stomach dropped. "Oh god NO!" He screamed as he rushed to the other side of the boat. "PRINCESS! BABY!"_

_He turned to Todd, crying out desperately, "SHE CAN'T SWIM!"_

"_Oh my god!" Todd replied filled with remorse for possibly being responsible. _

"_We've got to find her! We've got to save her! I can't lose her!" Paul yelled hysterically as he was about to jump in the water. _

_Todd was quick to pull Paul back. "You can't go in there! You'll get sucked underneath! You wouldn't be able to help her then! We'll call the coast guard!" He reasoned with him. _

_Paul knew Todd was right, but he went into hysterics. He hated not being in control, he hated being helpless. And now he's possibly lost the woman he loved. _

_With a desperate cry, praying his wife would hear him, he called out. _

"_LILY!"_

* * *

_Iris_

_Ahead in the distance, far enough to where the boat was barely visible in the storm, I rose up from the water, now stripped down to my underwear, grabbing hold of the buoy as I took a much needed breath. I proceeded to start swimming my way back to the house. _

_That was the night I died. And someone else was saved._

_Someone who was afraid of water, but learned to swim. _

_Someone who knew there would be one moment where he wouldn't be watching. _

_Someone who knew the darkness of the broken lights would show the way. _

_I swam with haste until I finally reached the shallow water of the beach in front of the house. I stumbled on the shore, my legs were so tired. _

_**Now it's Go time. Hurry up, we're on borrowed time!**_

_I rushed across the sand towards the house, but not before I stopped and yanked off my wedding ring. I immediately felt the dead weight lift off not only my hand, but my whole body. I didn't spare it a second glance before I threw it into the ocean where it'll be lost in the storm. _

_I ran into the house and got to work. I grabbed the step stool in the linen closet, I opened the secret compartment that I had hidden behind the towels and pulled out my backpack that was stuffed with clothes and shoes, dry snacks, and the most important thing. $5,000 that I had spent years saving up; from doing odd jobs for the people at the YMCA on the day's Paul thought I was working at the music store, and also from Mom. _

_When I left for those two days to move her to the nursing home in New York, she gave me her jewelry to pawn for money at her insistence. She said she didn't care about the jewelry, she just wanted me to get out of this awful life. _

_I tucked the money back in the backpack and quickly got dressed. I ran to the bathroom and pulled out the scissors from the drawer. I took one last look at my old self before I grabbed my long hair and cut it above my shoulders. _

_I flushed the hair down the toilet, making sure it all got sucked down the drain. I then grabbed a towel from the dirty clothes hamper and quickly wiped down all the wet footsteps I tracked through the house, wiping down any and all traces of me. _

_Satisfied with my finished work, I threw on my new jacket, grabbed my backpack, and ran out the door. Leaving my personal Hell behind without a second glance. _

_I walked through the ongoing storm to the closest bus station and bought my ticket for the next bus to New York. _

* * *

_Present Day_

"And here I am. So now you know everything." I finished, feeling more drained than I did yesterday.

The apartment was silent as Matt was processing everything I just told him.

I couldn't get a good read on his face that was almost in a stone daze, I had no idea what was going on in that head of his. It was making me nervous the longer I waited.

"Matt?" I gently called to him. "Say something."

He stayed silent.

The longer he stayed silent, the more nervous I got. I realized that my instinct was right. He was angry with me.

My vision went blurry with the tears that were threatening to shed. I tried to calm down my rapid heartbeat, but I was on the verge of a breakdown.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you." My voice cracked with the sobs I was suppressing. "You have every right to be mad at me. I shouldn't have told you, I _knew _you were going to hate me for this. I was such a fuckin coward for doing what I did."

I was in hysterics now, I jumped up from the couch and made a beeline to the door, not noticing Matt abruptly snap out of his daze.

"I shouldn't have put all my stupid problems on you. I'll stay out of your hair now. I won't be a burden anymore." I was sobbing at this point.

I opened the door to leave only to have Matt's hand appear and quickly shut it. I turned to face him, feeling confused.

His face crumbled into a frown, his eyes shone with unshed tears as he pulled me gently into his arms and held me in a warm and comforting embrace. I was sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. He held me tighter as he rubbed his hand up and down my back, and pressed his lips to the top of my head.

"I don't hate you." Matt spoke softly, his lips lifting slightly from my head. "I could _never _hate you. Least of all for _that. _I care about you more than you can ever know."

I tightened my arms around him as he continued on. "You're not a burden; you're the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep." My pulse was rising with each word he was saying. "I _am _angry. But not at _you. _I'm angry at the bastard that was hurting you. He's a shitty excuse for a man who has never deserved you."

He pulled back to lean his forehead against mine, making our eyes meet. "And you're _not _a coward." He lifted his hand to caress my cheek and wipe away my tears. "You are the bravest woman I have ever met. I know you're scared, and you've been through what _nobody _deserves to go through. But I promise you here and now, that I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

My heart soared, it felt as if it was beating at record speed. I have no idea what I did to have this sweet, amazing man in my life, but I thank whatever god is up there for bringing him into my life.

I rose my small hands to his angelic face, I lifted my face up and leaned closer to his until our lips met in the purest and sweetest kiss I have ever had in my entire life.

We both let out a sigh of relief, as if we were breathing for the first time. It felt as if a huge weight lifted from my chest and I truly felt free.

I pulled away slightly, our lips just barely touching when I whispered. "You _already _make me feel safe."

Matt's sightless eyes light up to a honey brown, his smile beaming even brighter. He then gave a light smirk as he pointed out. "You haven't told me _everything_, you know."

I frowned, confused at what I could have possibly left out. To which he then finished. "Your name. Your _full _name."

I smiled as I replied. "Lily _Iris _Williams."

Matt beamed once more. "Lily is beautiful. But I like Iris even more."

I gave a blushing smile in return. "Me too."

He ran his fingers through my hair with one hand, and caressed my cheek with the other as he replied, "I'll protect you."

He gently pulled me in for another kiss, and I just knew in my heart that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

**Annnnd that's Chapter 8! I'm not gonna lie, I got emotional writing this chapter, I actually cried a bit. Iris is my baby, I love her so much! And it kills me to put her through this, but it had to be done. But yay for super happy ending for the chapter! I adore Matt like no other! Thank you so much for reading, I love y'all 3000! There's plenty more story to tell, so be sure to follow me and this story, and PLEASE leave a review and tell me what you think! Well that's all for now. Until next time…*kiss noise***


	9. Girls Night

**I'm BAAAAACK! I'm so sorry for taking forever to update, guys. I had so much going on; school and work back to back, I seriously get no days off! My aunt was in the hospital for a month, but she's okay now. And I was also hit with the dreaded writers block. But I'm finally here with a new chapter, it's a fun lengthy one, I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Girls Night**

After our talk in Matt's apartment, he walked me back to my place to rest, obviously noticing how drained the talk left me. With one more lingering, spine tingling kiss, he walked back to his apartment with the promise to "see" me later.

I called Lucy to invite her to have a sleepover with me. This day of honesty has encouraged me to want to open up to my new "best friend" as Lucy fondly titled herself.

I slept the day away until a knock on the door woke me up. I reached for my phone to check the time. My eyes widened with disbelief at reading the large bright numbers on the screen. _6:15 PM _

_**Holy shit that talk really **_**did **_**drain me!**_

The knocking continued until I heard a familiar voice through the door.

"Iris, open up! The strippers are getting restless!" Lucy yelled impatiently.

I let out a snort of laughter as I made my way towards the door, opening it to reveal my quirky best friend wearing a yellow dress and carrying a green stuffed animal with little tentacles in its face.

"Good evening, Miss. Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Cthulhu?" Lucy asked, sounding every bit like a missionary.

"I was under the impression you brought strippers with you." I replied, arching one brow up as I patiently waited for her response.

"They got impatient and went back to Chippendales. Now you get Cthulhu." She responded as she thrust the green stuffed Cthulhu doll into my hands. "He like praises, occasional human sacrifices, and cuddles."

I giggled as I held the stuffed monster like a baby. "Thank you, I'll do my best." I opened the door wider for her, "You may enter if you dare."

"Thank you, kind gentlewoman." Lucy replied with a curtsy. She stepped inside carrying a medium sized overnight bag on her shoulder, but surprised me with the tall pink train case she rolled in behind her.

"Please don't tell me you have luggage for Cthulhu." I pleaded, my brows furrowed in slight worry.

Lucy was quick to respond. "Nope! I came prepared with some essentials."

She unlocked each compartment of the large case and proceeded to open and separate the case. Each compartment, to my amazement, revealed an assortment of pastries and desserts from the bakery. The top compartment had a protective container filled with a variety of cupcakes; the second compartment held a wide selection of French macarons, truffles,and fruit tarts; and the third compartment held various cronuts, puff pastry treats, and dulce de leche cookies.

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head at all the sweets. "Holy shit, Luce! There's no way we're gonna finish all of this tonight!"

"Oh don't be silly!" She replied as she started handing me the desserts to put in the fridge. "Some of this can be our breakfast too. Maybe you can even take some over to Matt." Lucy wiggled her eyebrows at me with a smirk.

I blushed at the thought of Matt, my lips still tingling from our kiss this morning.

"And besides," Lucy continued, interrupting my thoughts. "You haven't seen the best part. Guaranteed to hype up that appetite."

With that, she opened the bottom largest compartment. Revealing six bottles of Stella Rosa wine.

"Three for you, three for me!" Lucy exclaimed in excitement as she pulled out the bottles and set them on the counter.

"Holy shit." I said, too speechless to say anything else. But then I realized to my dismay, "I don't have a corkscrew."

Lucy, being the ultimate problem solver replied. "No worries, I have one on my keychain." She held up said keychain in all its pink bedazzled glory.

"Always prepared." I spoke with admiration.

"Never know when you're gonna need it. My sister and I learned that in Girl Scouts." Lucy replied as she uncorked one of the bottles.

My eyebrows raised in surprise, "They taught you about corkscrews?"

"My mom was our scout leader, she insisted. But enough about that," She thrust the open bottle to my hands as she opened a second bottle. "Let's drink."

"Shouldn't we get some wine glasses?" I asked perplexed.

Lucy scoffed. "Sweetie, please. We're ladies. We drink straight from the bottle." I let out a laugh as I put the rest of the bottles in the fridge to chill. "Now let's sit down, drink up, and talk about what's going on with you."

We got to the couch, I took a healthy gulp of the wine and told her everything.

She took it pretty well.

"I'm gonna fuckin kill him." Lucy growled as we both wiped our tears. "I'm gonna fly out to Miami, and kill him to death!"

I let out a snort of laughter. "How do you kill someone to death?"

"Oh there are ways." Lucy was quick to reply. "I can get quite creative when the inspiration hits me."

"I don't doubt that for a second," I chuckled. "But I just got away from him and I hate the idea of you being in the same room as him. What he did to me was horrible enough. The thought of him doing _anything _to you or anyone else I care about terrifies me." I felt a chill of fear go up my spine just saying it.

Lucy frowned in sympathy and pulled me into a comforting embrace. "Hey now, get that thought out of your mind. He's thousands of miles away back in Miami. We're in New York. You changed your look, it's a huge city, _and _he thinks you're dead. And most importantly, you're not alone anymore. You have me, and two adorable kick ass lawyers that will fight for you. _Especially _Matt." Lucy finished with a wink.

My cheeks reddened at the thought of my sweet, gorgeous neighbor. "That's a pretty valid point."

"Does he know?" Lucy asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I told him this morning before I called you."

"How did he take it?"

I hesitated before I answered. "Better than I thought. At first, though, he was silent. I guess he was processing everything, but I was so sure he hated me." Lucy looked confused before I elaborated. "For lying. For running away from my problems like a coward."

"Oh sweetie, you're _not _a coward!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes meeting mine. "You were being _abused_, you were alone and scared! You said yourself that cops couldn't help you. It would've gotten even worse the longer you stayed. You did what you _had _to do, and on top of that, you snuck out to move your mom _and_ faked her death to protect her even though you knew that you were gonna get hurt for disappearing like that. That took a lot of guts, you must know that by now."

I nodded shakily, fighting the tears threatening to shed. "I do _now_. Matt said as much himself."

Lucy's face brightened. "See? That man is as smart as he is gorgeous..."

"And kissable." I muttered as I took a sip of my wine.

Lucy continued, "Just like my Foggy- _time the fuck out!_"

My eyes widened at the sudden outburst. "What?"

"You kissed Matt?!" She asked excitedly.

"Oh, yeah, I did." I replied with a timid smile, my cheeks flushing into a rosy pink.

Lucy could barely contain her composure, her hands were flailing and her body jumping from excitement. She shot up off the couch and rushed to the fridge, returning with the container of cupcakes before going back to the fridge to grab two more bottles of wine. She gingerly sat back on the couch, her legs folded like a kid eager for story time.

"Okay, I'm ready! Tell me everything." She begged with glee.

Exasperated, I shook my head and replied. "Luce, there isn't that much to tell. It wasn't hot and heavy, it was sweet and tender during a vulnerable moment."

"You say there isn't much to tell, but I don't care. Tell me about it anyway!" Lucy exclaimed impatiently. "Finish your first bottle and we can share all the dirty fantasies about our guys." Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively as she nudged my open bottle towards me.

"Luce!" I laughed out. "I don't really talk about this kind of stuff."

"Oh you will," Lucy stated. "Now sip sip."

_30 minutes, one and a half bottles of wine later…._

"Matt's so fuckin beautiful, it's unfair!" I cried out dramatically, fully feeling the effects of the sweet wine. Lucy giggling like a drunk hyena as I continued. "Like, he's so sweet and precious with that smile made of sunshine, but he's also sexy as fuck with that body- oh God, that body! I've bumped into him like a billion times, he even caught me in his arms once, and sweet baby Jesus that man is pure muscle! I wanna play with it like a jungle gym. Like every time I look at him...I feel it in my bones," My eyes welled up with drunk tears, "I _know _his dick is big, I _know _it! _I know it's big! _Oh God, my heart hurts!"

I was full on sobbing as I bit into my fifth or tenth cupcake.

Lucy was no better off than I was. She was on the brink of tears as she hugged me sympathetically. "My poor, sweet, thirsty flower child needs to get Murdocked so bad."

"I really do!" I replied as I wiped my tears. "I've never had an orgasm and I really really wanna know what one feels like before I die of old age or something."

"You _what?!_" Lucy exclaimed with and inhuman sounding gasp of breath. "How have you _never_ had an orgasm?!"

I rolled my eyes and took a huge gulp of wine. "I was a virgin when I met Paul. He insisted we wait until after the wedding to make it more 'special'. And the whole time during our honeymoon, it was uncomfortable and kinda hurt like hell, but he was a little gentle with me." My mood began to dampen as I went on, "When he showed his true colors, he stopped being gentle. He took what he wanted and I just laid there and let him. It was better if I didn't fight."

I took another gulp of wine as Lucy processed everything. "Could he be any more of an asshole?!" She yelled in disgust. "If he has to be so controlling that he doesn't care whether or not you cum, then he's probably shit in bed anyway."

I nodded in agreement, "That actually makes so much sense. He's….." I hesitated for a second.

_**Come on, girl. Say what you want about him. He's not here to stop you. **_

I stood up on the couch, holding my bottle up high and proudly cried out, "Paul Burney is a fuckin asshole! I hate him with every inch of my body, and I deserve a better man that will give me all the love and orgasms I want!"

"Fuckin A, babydoll!" Lucy cheered as she clumsily stood up on the couch alongside me, holding her own bottle up high as she pledged, "Love and orgasms for us! A lifetime of STDs and...um...unlubed anal for Paul!"

I laughed so hard, I couldn't control the sudden spray of wine from my mouth. I collapsed onto the couch, struggling to breathe through my drunken laughter.

"What the fuck?" I managed to ask.

Lucy hopped off the couch to sit back down. "It'll be my birthday present to you."

"My birthday isn't until October." I replied.

Lucy's eyes widened in excitement. "Ooh only two months away then! What day? I wanna start planning now."

I snorted in amusement as I replied. "The 31st. "

Lucy looked almost ready to have a heart attack. "NO WAY! Your birthday is on Halloween?!" She waved her hands ecstatically. "Halloween is my Christmas! And you get to have it for your birthday! That's so cool! It must've been so fun celebrating it."

My smile dimmed. "It was when I was with my mom. When I got married, I didn't get to celebrate either holiday anymore. Paul doesn't like celebrating holidays, especially Halloween. He finds them childish."

I looked down at my feet in shame, hating myself for letting him control me for so long. Lucy's smile dropped; her face turned red, either from anger or the wine, or possibly both. She shook her head in disgust, relaxing her face back into a smile.

"Well he's not here, and this is a new start for you, right?" I nodded for her to continue. "So it's decided. I'm throwing you the spookiest, most epic Halloween birthday party ever! Costumes, Halloween themed birthday cake, booze, candy, the works! What do you say, birthday ghoul?"

Lucy wasn't prepared for me to pounce onto her into an attack hug, she let out a yelp as the impact caused us to fall off the couch and onto the floor. She giggled hysterically as I peppered her face with drunken kisses.

"I take that as a yes?" She asked with excitement.

"Can we make jack-o-lanterns?" I asked, my eyes widened with childlike glee.

"Are you kidding? That's gonna be the first thing we do, of course we can make them!" Lucy replied happily. "We'll have a day at the pumpkin patch, ooh and I'm sure there's a corn maze out there too. This is gonna be so much fun!" She clapped with excitement.

I was too drunk to keep any ounce of composure, l squealed and kicked my feet in the air like I just didn't care. Then a thought occurred to me.

"Do you think Matt and Foggy would wanna join us? Would they even be into that sort of thing?" I asked, starting to feel a smidge of doubt.

Lucy gave my hair a gentle tug. "If they're as into _us _as I'm pretty positive they are, then they'll totally wanna join in. You can find out when you see Matt tomorrow." She replied with a wink. "Besides, you pretty much have to be a soulless asshole to not wanna celebrate Halloween- let alone someone's _birthday_!"

"Well, that explains Paul."

Lucy scoffed. "Fuck that dumpster fire of a human being with something hard and sandpapery."

I let out a snort of laughter, "Oh Luce, you have such a way with words."

Lucy grinned with pride. "It's a talent. However speaking of assholes…"

I caught her finger before it had the chance to poke at my bruised cheek.

"Who's the asshole that hurt your cheek? What the Hell happened? Tell me everything!"

My clouded brain didn't understand what she was talking about, until a certain sexy vigilante in black pajamas flashed through my mind.

"Oh my god, I totally forgot about that!" I exclaimed. "I had a crazy night last night."

"Well don't leave me in suspense, Woman! What happened?" Lucy asked impatiently.

I sat up before I started my tale of the night before. "So, I didn't go home after seeing you. I needed to go somewhere to breathe. And while I was out, I made some new friends. Like this nurse who I ended up spilling my guts to about my situation, and she gave me a checkup. Her name's Claire, very cool chick, she gets a free treat from the bakery, I can't wait for you to meet her. Oh and I met this super cool group of musicians and jammed with them at Guitar Center, they're my own band of gypsies, you'll love them!" _**Focus, girl. **_"Anywho, I was walking home and it was dark. Then this dirty creepy guy dragged me down an alley. My dumb ass thought it was Paul, but nope, I was just being mugged. I tried to get away, but he threw me against the wall, which caused this," I gestured to the bruised scrape in my cheek. "He started groping me and wanted to do _other _stuff to me," I shivered at the memory. "But then, out of nowhere, this guy shows up, throws the mugger off me, and beats the mad shit out of him!"

"No way!" Lucy exclaimed as she sat up facing me. "Who was it?! Ooh was it one of the Avengers?"

I shrugged, "I don't think so. Do any of the Avengers dress in head to toe black and fight like some kind of sexy acrobatic ninja?"

Lucy let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh my god, you lucky bitch! You got rescued by Daredevil!"

"Who?" I asked, not familiar with the name.

"Oh that's right, you haven't lived here long enough to be familiar with him. He's our local vigilante, also known as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. He's been around for about a year now, I think, trying to clean the streets of criminals and scumbags with some epic ass kicking from what I've heard. And you got rescued by him!" Lucy finished excitedly.

I sat there in disbelief. I couldn't believe that not only did someone care enough to save my life, but that it was by an apparently famous crime fighter.

"What happened after that?" Lucy asked. "Did he talk to you? Or did he disappear mysteriously into the night?" She finished with a dramatic whisper.

I blushed as I remembered how close and intimate my moment with the masked man felt.

"He spoke to me…" I trailed off.

"And?" Lucy asked impatiently.

She wasn't going to let it go until I told her, so I let out a sigh and continued. "He asked me if I was okay. He got really close to me, he touched my cheek…" I felt my heart race remembering his touch. "It felt so _intimate. _Like he really genuinely cared about me. Like he wanted to hold me, you know?" Lucy dreamily nodded as I continued. "He told me to go home and be safe. I thanked him, and then he was gone."

Lucy sighed. "That sounds so romantic. Having your own superhero to keep you safe. What a dream!"

I couldn't help but agree. "He certainly got my heart racing, that's for sure."

"I heard he has a killer body under those black pajamas." Lucy pointed out. "How did it look? And most importantly, did you check out his ass?" She asked, causing me to almost choke on my wine.

"Oh my god, Luce, warn a girl next time!" She simply shrugged. "And seriously? I was in _danger. _I saw him beat up that creep who wanted to hurt me!"

Lucy's excitement deflated , "You're right, I'm sorry-"

"_Of course _I checked out his ass!" I cut her off. "I'm not stupid! If my life was about to end, I needed _something _good to look at."

Lucy let out an excited giggle. "And how was it?"

"Round and juicy, like a perfect peach. If I were to rate it, I'd give it two palms up." I replied, holding my hands palm side up with a grabbing motion; causing Lucy and I to burst into hysterical laughter.

"You'll have to get a good grip on that peach the next time you see him." Lucy wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

I snorted, "Groping a vigilante? Oh yeah, I see that working out well. He'll probably have _me _arrested!"

Lucy shrugged, "You know a couple hot lawyers that'll defend you."

Matt.

The thought of him instantly sobered me up.

"Fuck, how could I have forgotten about Matt? I shouldn't be thinking these things about some masked stranger! What's wrong with me?" I asked, frustrated with myself.

Lucy seemed unfazed by my thoughts. "Don't worry about that. He won't mind."

"What makes you say that?" I looked at her in slight confusion.

Lucy's eyes widened as she took a huge gulp of wine. She hesitated for a second before replying. "Maybe...he's into kinky shit and would be open to a sexy three way. Then you really _would _be the luckiest bitch in the world!"

I just barely swallowed my wine before cracking up. "I don't think Matt and I are at that stage of our relationship to talk about that kind of stuff yet. We haven't even really talked about what we _are _yet. And besides, I doubt he's into threesomes and stuff like that anyway."

_**Don't act like the thought didn't cross your mind. **_I shrugged at my thoughts.

"Hey, don't rule it out," Lucy insisted. "Just because he's blind and catholic, doesn't mean he's not kinky as hell. In fact, he's probably _very _adventurous indeed." She finished with a wink.

I rolled my eyes and replied, "I'll keep that in mind, you weirdo."

"Dancing!" Lucy exclaimed out of nowhere, immediately changing the subject. "We have to have dancing at your party! Ooh the Time Warp is a must, remind me that we seriously need to go out for a Rocky Horror night, by the way. Ooh we can do the rockabilly stroll! That'll be a fun and easy dance to do."

"What's the rockabilly stroll?" I asked once Luce stopped to take a breath.

She immediately jumped up and ran for her bag. She pulled out a portable speaker and her phone. A moment later, rockabilly music filled the air. Lucy grabbed my hands, yanking me to my feet.

"You're gonna learn today." She declared before my new dance lessons began.

The rest of the night was spent dancing, eating, drinking, and leaving all my troubles behind.

* * *

_Next Morning _

I woke up the next morning expecting a killer hangover despite Lucy making me take some aspirin and orange juice before passing out, but no such hangover occurred. I wanted to go back to sleep, sure, but thankfully there was no splitting headache from all that wine.

The smell of coffee brewing prevented me from falling back asleep. I slowly started to rise up from the scattered pillows and tangled blanket on the...floor?

I guess we were too tired or too hammered to make it to the bed.

"Rise and shine, Ginger!" Lucy called out from the kitchen.

I forced myself up and clumsily stumbled towards the kitchen. Lucy stood at the counter wide awake and perked full of energy.

"How are you so full of energy?" I groggily asked her.

"High metabolism and an iron liver. I get that from my mama." Lucy replied with a cheeky grin. "How do you take your coffee, my sleepy ginger snap?"

"Sweeter than Matt's smile." I replied dreamily, still half asleep.

"What was that?" Lucy replied with a chuckle.

"More cream and sugar than coffee." I clarified, blushing at the realization of what I said.

Lucy complied, handing me my fresh cup. "One sweet ass coffee for one thirsty ass lady."

"Thanks, darling." I replied, drinking the coffee. "So what time are we opening the bakery today?"

"Well I think we can get away with opening up shop a little later today. The boss is pretty lenient." She winked. "So we can take our time getting more awake and ready for the day."

"Sounds like a great plan." I readily agreed. "I love my boss."

"Love ya too, doll." Lucy replied with a wink. "But first thing's first." She made her way to the fridge. "You're gonna brush your teeth, get dressed, and take some goodies over to the handsome Mr. Murdock."

"You don't mind if I leave you behind for a few minutes?" I asked, not wanting to be rude to my friend.

Lucy put that worry to rest. "Don't worry about me. I might take advantage of your shower if you don't mind?"

"Knock yourself out. I'm just gonna freshen up real quick." I replied as I raced to my room to change and brush my teeth as well as my birds nest-looking hair.

I was ready in no time; I rushed over to the kitchen where Lucy had just finished putting together a container full of pastries for me to take.

Lucy looked at me knowingly. "Wow, _someone _is eager to get Murdocked."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, you perv." I replied innocently as I reached for the container. "Thanks for putting this together, Luce. I think I'll bring him some coffee too. I think he'll appreciate that."

"Aww that's so sweet!" Lucy gushed. She grabbed her overnight bag and pulled out a small stack of to-go coffee cups and lids. "Here, take one of these. Last thing we need is a coffee accident."

"Thanks, Mary Poppins. You seem to carry _everything_!" I exclaimed.

Lucy scoffed. "Sweetie, Mary Poppins has nothing on me. Now go get your Murdock fix!" She started nudging me out the door. "I want details!" She finished with a slam of the door.

I shook my head with a giggle as I walked over next door. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach as I raised my hand to knock on Matt's door.

The door opened after the first knock, revealing Matt, who was looking absolutely sinful in a black suit and tie. His beautiful eyes were already covered by those familiar red sunglasses.

"Morning, Matt!" I greeted cheerfully, feeling more awake in his presence.

"Good morning to you too, Iris." He replied, flashing that gorgeous smile I love so much. "You sound better today."

"I _feel _better today." I replied, the memory of our kiss causing me to blush.

Matt opened the door wider. "Would you like to come in? I have to leave soon, but I can _definitely _spare a few minutes for you." He finished with a wink, causing my organs to bounce.

I cleared my throat before I could get lost in my dirty thoughts.

"Why thank you, don't mind if I do." I replied with a slight curtsy before entering the apartment. Matt smirked as if he could _see _my gesture.

"How are you?" He asked as he closed the door, moving towards me. "I know yesterday had taken a lot out of you. Are you okay?"

He lifted his hand to my shoulder, giving me instant warmth at his thoughtfulness.

"I am." I replied with a smile. "For the first time in a long time, I really am." I leaned up to kiss those sweet lips of his, which he eagerly and gently gave back in kind. "Thank you for listening. And for accepting me and the truth."

Matt smiled as he caressed my cheek. "Anytime. Thank you for trusting me. I know it wasn't easy."

"It wasn't." I agreed. "But it feels better to not have to keep this to myself anymore. I even called Lucy over to tell her."

I looked down at the goodies in my hands and remembered the initial reason I was there.

"And speaking of which, she brought over practically half the treats from the bakery, and I thought you might like some for breakfast. You can maybe share some with Foggy if you want." I gently nudged the container into his hands.

Matt's smile was priceless. "Thank you so much, Iris. That's so thoughtful of you. Foggy will appreciate this for sure." He then sniffed the air. "Is that coffee I smell?"

"Yup!" I replied, carefully placing the hot cup in his hands. "I thought you could use a pick me up."

"You're a goddess." He sighed appreciatively as he smelled the coffee.

I blushed at the comment, "It's no problem. I don't remember how you take your coffee, so I left it black."

"I actually _do_ take it black, so you did perfectly." He praised. He took a sip, letting out a soft moan, giving me goosebumps. "Thank you so much, you saved me from having to make some myself."

"Anytime." I replied. "I'm happy to help."

Matt smiled back; he was about to speak, but he was cut off by a robotic voice calling out "_Foggy. Foggy. Foggy."_

Letting out a huff he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I'm sorry, Iris, can you give me just a second?"

"Of course, go ahead." I assured him as he answered the phone.

"Hey, Foggy." Matt greeted.

I couldn't hear what Foggy was saying, but from Matt's expression, I would guess Foggy was getting impatient.

"I know, I'm sorry I'm running late. I overslept." He explained. "I'll be there as soon as I can." He tightened his grip on the container of pastries in his hand. He continued with a smirk, "And I'm even bringing breakfast. Courtesy of our favorite ladies."

I felt my face flush even redder at the comment. Matt _had _to have known how he was affecting me, his smirk grew with a chuckle. Either at me or at what Foggy was saying, I have no idea.

"Okay. I'll be there soon." He finished before hanging up.

"I take it this is your cue to go?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Matt nodded apologetically. "Yeah. I'd rather stay, to be honest, but we're meeting a client today, and we have to prepare for that."

I immediately felt guilty. "Oh god, Matt, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you late."

Matt tilted my chin up to look at him. "Hey, don't ever apologize for coming by. You're a _very _welcome distraction."

Our noses touched oh so softly, only a breath between our lips. My heart pounded in my ears, I think even Matt could hear it.

_**This man will be the death of me. But what a way to go. **_

The logical part of me should back away before we get carried away. But the aroused part of me wanted to keep going.

I gave in and eagerly pressed my lips against his, feeling lighter than air. I could feel Matt's hand lightly grasp the back of my neck, his fingers combed through my hair as he held me closer to him. My hands clawed at his back, trying to get him even closer.

I felt the tip of Matt's tongue at the seam of my lips, begging for entry. I let out an eager gasp in response, I softly began to greet his tongue with mine….

"_Foggy. Foggy. Foggy. Fog-"_

Letting out a groan of frustration, Matt broke apart from our kiss and answered the phone while still holding me close to him.

"_What, _Foggy?" Matt asked through clenched teeth.

The deep growl sent thrilling chills up my spine. _**Why does it sound so familiar?**_

"_I knew it!" _Foggy yelled on the other end, which I could hear loud and clear this time. "_Get your tongue out of Iris's throat, and get your ass over here!"_

Foggy hung up before Matt could even respond.

We both let out a sigh of disappointment, Matt leaning his forehead against mine.

"I guess you _really _have to go this time, huh?" I asked dejectedly.

"I don't want to, but he'll hunt me down if I don't." He replied with a half hearted chuckle. "May I walk you back to your door?"

I giggled back, "Of course. Don't forget the container. You're gonna need those pastries to calm him down."

Matt chuckled again, "You might be right about that. Though I think we'll have to stop by the bakery so he can see Lucy in order for him to forgive me."

"That can be arranged." I replied as we made our way out the door.

He locked the door just as I noticed something was missing. "Oh Matt, you forgot your coffee."

He turned to me with a smirk. "It's okay. I already had my pick-me-up."

_**Damn he's smooth. **_

"You're incorrigible." I responded, flushing as red as a tomato.

"And _you're _irresistible." Matt replied with a wink as he held my hand.

"And _you're _running late." I replied back, trying to control my racing heart.

Our short walk ended as we stopped in front of my door, our hands still clasped together.

"You're right," He said, sounding disappointed once again about leaving. "Thank you for stopping by. It really made my morning."

I grinned. "Anytime." Then I decided to continue my bold streak. "In fact, would you like to come over for dinner tonight? We could whip something up in the kitchen together, it'll be fun."

I felt unreasonably nervous waiting for his answer.

_**You just soft core made out with the man in his apartment. I don't think he's gonna say "no".**_

Matt smiled sweetly and replied, "I'd love to. What time should I come over?"

"How about 6:00?" I asked. Lucy won't mind letting me off before then.

"Perfect." He replied. "Want me to bring anything?"

"Just yourself." I said, not wanting to let go of his hand. "Are you craving for anything in particular?"

_**I know what **_**I'm **_**craving for. **_

Matt smirked as if he heard my thoughts and replied, "How about we bake some dessert for dinner?" His calloused fingers lightly caressed my hand. "I'm suddenly craving for something sweet."

I suddenly felt hot enough to break a sweat, and my rapidly beating heart certainly didn't help. _**Keep it together. **_

"Okay," Why did I sound so breathless? I cleared my throat before continuing. "I'll think of something for us to make. I'll see you tonight?"

"Looking forward to it." He said as he leaned down to leave a soft, lingering kiss on my lips. "See you tonight."

"Bye." I whispered, biting my lip to try to hold back my bashful grin.

I could faintly hear Lucy's footsteps shuffling quickly away from the other side of the door. Matt had an amused grin on his face as he turned away and walked towards the elevator.

I drifted through the doorway of my apartment like I was floating on a cloud. Even Lucy's knowing smirk couldn't distract me from the excitement tonight will surely bring.

* * *

**And that was chapter 9! I hope it was worth the wait and that you loved the bonding between Iris and Lucy. I love them so much! And Matt…*sigh* he makes my heart sing! I hope y'all liked it, please be sure to favorite and subscribe and leave a comment telling me what you think. Your comments truly make my day! Well that's all for now and I'll do my best not to take forever on the next chapter. Until next time…*kiss noise***


	10. Falling So Fast

**I'm baaaack! I'm so so so so sorry for the hiatus! Like I said in my previous post, life and school and the dirty whore know as writers block got in the way. But boy have I got a chapter for you! This is a nice long chapter with lots of FLUFF and it's even gonna get a little STEAMY. This is a big night for BOTH COUPLES, so Lucy & Foggy shippers, this should make y'all happy ;) Thank you so much for your patience, now on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Falling So Fast**

The end of the day could not come soon enough.

I spent the entire morning and afternoon in impatient excitement for my date with Matt. I couldn't stop thinking about him.

His beautiful smile that seemed to light up the entire room and make the world feel brighter.

His kind, gentle soul that makes me feel safe whenever I'm around him.

His sweet, seductive lips that send delicious electric shocks through my body every time he kisses me. Lips that I'm dying to taste again.

His deep, soothing voice that was smooth as silk and always makes the neglected parts of my body tingle with excitement. Especially when it deepened into that frustrated growl.

A growl that sounded so familiar…

My mind drifted to the night the masked stranger saved my life.

_**But that's not possible. Matt's blind. He can't do all that crazy ninja stuff…..can he?**_

"Iris, can you do me a favor and check on the cookie cups for me, please?" Lucy's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

It took me a second to remember where I was currently at. The bakery. Where I was supposed to be working, wiping down the tables at the present moment. Yet I've been stuck in my head daydreaming. Pull yourself together, girl.

"I'm on it." I replied as I made my way towards the kitchen to the oven, feeling embarrassed for zoning out. "Sorry, Luce. I don't know what's gotten into me."

"Oh I know what's gotten into you, ginger snap." Lucy replied as she finished ringing up a customer. I didn't have to look at her to know she had a knowing smirk on her face.

"Sorry, I can't hear you! I'm pulling the cookie cups out of the oven!" I yelled exaggeratedly as I opened the oven.

I had just barely set down the hot muffin pan of the delicious smelling cookie cups when Lucy popped her head in the doorway.

"Ready for your date tonight, hot stuff?" She asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

I let out an excited giggle, "I am now. Thank you so much again for helping me out with the shopping. I promise I'll pay you back."

Lucy waved me off. "Don't even worry about it, hun. Think of it as a housewarming gift. Your kitchen was sorely lacking, I nearly cried. That reminds me, we'll have to set up a day to go shopping for your apartment. We need to liven it up. Like, a lot!"

I nearly dropped the bowl of marshmallow cream I had pulled out of the fridge. "Lucy, that's too much! I don't wanna spend more money than I already have. And I don't feel right having you spend your hard earned money on me."

"Sweetie, don't worry about it!" She replied with a comforting smile and hug. "I'm offering to do this because I want to. I love to help my friends in any way I can, and you've been through so much. I want to help make your new life a happy one."

Speechless and on the brink of tears, I threw myself at Lucy, hugging her fiercely. "How did I get so lucky to have you as my best friend?"

"It was destiny." She replied, hugging me just as tightly. "Maybe I'm a witch and I magically brought you to the bakery."

We burst out into giggles, lightening the mood. "That would make sense," I replied, wiping my tears. "You're extremely resourceful and have a million skills under your belt. It must be witchcraft."

Lucy snorted. "You got me. I made a deal with the Devil for all my powers." She winked.

I nudged her with a chuckle. "Seriously though, is there anything you can't do?"

Lucy stopped to think for a moment before replying, "Play an instrument."

"Well I think I can help you with that. You'll have to join me next time I see my band of gypsies soon." I replied as I thought fondly about my new friends.

Lucy gave a glowing smile in response. "It's a date! And speaking of dates…" Lucy trailed off as she checked the front for customers, seeing none. "It's 4:30 now. What do you say we speed through icing these cookie cups, pop them in the walk-in, and close up for the day? I don't know about you, but I need plenty of time to get ready for my date with Foggy." She winked as she walked over to flip the sign from OPEN to CLOSED.

"You and Foggy have a date tonight?" I asked with interest.

Lucy nodded excitedly. "Yep! He stopped by for a hot second earlier to officially ask me out. We're going dancing!"

My excitement for my friend was slightly summed by disappointment at missing a certain lawyer's visit.

"Foggy was here? I didn't see him or…" I trailed off, feeling discouraged.

"Oh don't worry, sweetie. Matt wasn't here. Foggy left him with a client in the office so he can see me. It was really quick and you were busy back here with the eclairs." Lucy assured me, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief. "Now let's finish up those cookie cups. Our gentlemen await us!"

* * *

**_Later that evening…._**

I was buzzing with excitement as I finished getting ready, applying some light red lip gloss on my lips. The soulful voice of Doris Troy filling the air.

_Just one look and I fell so hard_

_In love with you uh oh uh oh_

_I found out how good it feels_

_To have your love uh oh uh oh_

I run a brush through my straightened hair as I looked over my outfit in the mirror: a black short sleeved top with a knee length red lace A line skirt and black ballet flats.

_**Lace, huh? Nice material for a certain gorgeous lawyer to feel. I'm so proud!**_

I let out a giggle as I twirled in a circle, causing the skirt to twirl along with me. I started to sing along to the song when a knock on the door stopped me in my tracks.

_**He's here!**_

My heart started beating rapidly with excitement as I stopped the music and forced myself to walk calmly to the door. I paused to smooth out my hair and my skirt before answering the door, revealing Matt looking gorgeous as ever, his beautiful brown eyes free from his red glasses, and wearing that sinful black suit and that beautiful smile I love so much.

"Hi, Matt." I greeted breathily in almost a dreamy sigh.

Matt's smile grew as if he knew the effect he had on me. He probably did.

"Hi, Iris. Looking beautiful as ever." He replied as he leaned in to kiss my cheek. At least he would have, if I hadn't quickly turned my head so he could catch my lips instead.

I could feel his smile against my lips as he pulled me closer. I broke our kiss and replied, "I still don't know how you can tell I look beautiful, but if it means doing that every time you say it, then I'll take it."

He let out a breathy chuckle. "You're always beautiful, that's how."

I blushed a bright red as I replied, "You're incorrigible."

"And you're irresistible." He smirked as we repeated our words from this morning.

"And you're still standing out in the hallway." I giggled. "Please come in, make yourself at home."

Matt's smirk grew. "Why thank you, don't mind if I do. But first…" he trailed off before moving his left hand, which I just noticed was hiding behind his back. "I know you said I didn't need to bring anything, but I wanted to start our official date off right."

He held his hand out in front of me, revealing a beautiful and brightly colored bouquet. My fingers caressed his hand as I gently grabbed the vibrant flowers.

"Oh my god, Matt, they're so beautiful! Thank you!" I exclaimed as I inspected the flowers. My heart stopped as I recognized what kind they were. "Are these daisies?"

Matt's eyes lit up to a honey brown, his cheeks turned into a rosy pink as he gave a sweet smile. "Yeah, I remember you said they were your favorite flower."

My eyes started to tear up. I reached up to kiss him properly. "I love them. Thank you so much, Matt. You're so thoughtful, how did I get so lucky?"

Matt gently rubbed his nose against mine affectionately. "You were overdue for some luck to finally come your way."

I let out a soft giggle in response. "That makes sense. Well, Mr. Murdock, shall we make our way to the kitchen and get this date started?"

"We shall, Ms. Roberts." He replied, referring to me by my fake name since he was still in the hallway.

"Lead the way." He finished with a light grasp on my hand, sending delightful tingles up my spine.

This was going to be a fun night.

* * *

_**Foggy**_

Foggy was practically bouncing on his feet from nerves and excitement as he walked up the steps to Lucy's apartment building. His palms were sweaty as he raised his hand to push the doorbell next to Lucy's name.

"_Hello_?" Lucy's sultry voice called out through the intercom.

Foggy cleared his throat, "Hi, Lucy. It's Foggy-"

He was quickly cut off by the buzzing of the door and Lucy replying with a smile in her voice. "_Come on in_!"

With a smile and a racing heartbeat, Foggy quickly opened the door to enter the apartment complex. He nervously ran his fingers through his freshly cut hair, smoothing it back to look a little more tamed. He was about to head towards the stairs when he was stopped by the most beautiful vision he'd ever seen.

As if time had slowed down, there was Lucy, walking down the stairs wearing a seductive red dress made of silk that was clinging to those sinful curves. Her long dark wavy hair bounced with each step, the light shining off it like a halo around her head. Her red painted lips rose into a sweet flirty smile as she looked at him.

Foggy had to resist the urge to pinch himself. _**How the hell did I get so lucky to be around this elegant goddess? If this is a dream, I never wanna wake up.**_

Foggy had just remembered how to breathe again once Lucy reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hello, Foggy. You're looking handsome as ever." Lucy greeted, her sultry voice sending shivers down his spine.

Foggy's mouth dried up, he couldn't form any words as the brunette siren reached up and ran her dainty fingers through his now short hair. "I love the new hair."

"I got it cut." Foggy managed to say, cringing at how stupid he must have sounded.

Lucy giggled, "It suits you. You look very dashing."

"So do you- I mean you look stunning!" Foggy stammered, his face flushing.

Remembering the flowers he was holding behind his back, he handed them to the raven haired beauty. "These are for you. I remember you said they were your favorite."

Lucy's heart fluttered as she gazed at the bouquet of deep red dahlias and roses.

"Oh my god, they're so beautiful! Thank you, Foggy!" She caught Foggy by surprise as she planted a sweet kiss on his lips.

Foggy could've sworn his heart had stopped beating the moment he got a brief taste of those seductive lips of hers.

Before he could get carried away with his thoughts, Lucy grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs. "Let me just put these in some water and then we can go, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem." Foggy managed to reply. _**Real eloquent, Nelson.**_

Lucy was in and out of her apartment in no time, her smile as bright as ever. "Okay, I'm all set!"

Foggy cleared his throat as he held out his arm for Lucy.

"Ready for a night of dancing, Ms. Addams?" Foggy asked, trying to be as suave as possible.

Lucy let out a breathy giggle as she grasped his offered arm. "Lead the way, Mr. Nelson."

* * *

_**Iris**_

"So what's on the menu for tonight?" Matt asked as he set aside his jacket and started rolling up his sleeves.

I turned my gaze away from those enticing hands of his to start pulling out the ingredients from the fridge. Don't get all hot and bothered so soon or this night is gonna be torture!

"Matt, you are in for a treat tonight!" I replied with excitement. "We're gonna have tiramisu cupcakes, cannolis, and limoncello gelato. I made the gelato earlier since it needed a few hours to chill in the freezer, so we'll have that one last."

"Sounds amazing, Iris." Matt smiled. "A three course Italian dessert is an interesting choice." He said with a knowing smirk.

"I thought it would be fitting since our first date was Italian food. And...that was honestly one of the best nights I have ever had. I guess I wanted to relive that. I guess that's kinda silly." I avoided looking at him as I replied with a burning blush.

I felt Matt's hand caress my back. "No it's not. I love it." He replied fondly. "That was a wonderful night for me too, one I can't stop thinking about. So maybe this can become a tradition for us, if you'd like."

I looked up at him, and I swear I could feel my heart bursting at the seams with affection for this amazing man. His kind words, and his sweet face has me falling so fast beyond my control.

"I'd love that." I simply replied. I cleared my throat to shake myself out of my bubble. "Now how about we get started? Which would you like to start on first?"

Matt took a moment to think before he replied. "Let's do the cupcakes first, and then we can work on the cannolis while they're in the oven."

"You read my mind." I nudged him with a wink. "Ooh I got some wine, by the way! Let's crack that open, put on some more music, and get our baking on."

"Great idea. Just don't get me too drunk and try to take advantage of me, Ms. Williams." Matt smirked as he called me by my real name.

"Oh damn, you caught me. Just don't try to sue me, Mr. Murdock." I replied as I handed him a glass of Stella Rosa Black.

"I make no promises." Matt smirked once more as our glasses clinked before taking a sip. "You might have to persuade me with these enticing desserts you have planned."

I took a huge gulp of wine to swallow down the lump that formed in my throat from the way his sensual voice affected me. "Then let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

_**Foggy**_

Swing 46 turned out to be a great choice of venue for Foggy and Lucy's date. The Jazz club had dim lighting reflecting on the red walls for an intimate atmosphere, the tables each had a lit candle to add romance to the aesthetic. The band on stage filling the air with big band jazz that had several couples on the dance floor. Foggy, however, could not take his eyes off Lucy. Her radiance glowed brighter than the lights themselves, her smile growing as she watched the couples dancing energetically.

She turned to Foggy, reaching for his hand. "This place is wonderful, Foggy! How did you find it?"

Foggy smiled, "I looked online for places to go swing dancing and this place was at the top of the list. I figured you weren't into those techno rave kind of places."

Lucy laughed, "And you'd be right! I hate that music. And their idea of dancing is too raunchy for my taste. This is more my speed."

Foggy smiled in relief, wanting to pat himself on the back for doing good so far. He didn't want to do anything to screw this up.

The waiter came back to their table with the red wine they ordered. The couple placed their orders for their dinner, and the waiter had left them alone once more.

Foggy held up his glass to her in a toast, "Here's to what I hope will be an amazing night with the most beautiful woman in the world."

Lucy's cheeks flushed a rosy pink as she held up her own glass to Foggy's, "And here's what I know will be an amazing night with the handsomest, sweetest, most adorable man in the world."

Their adoring smiles shined brighter than the candles as their glasses clinked before taking the first sip.

"So I gotta ask," Lucy started, "What's it like being a hotshot defense attorney?"

Foggy chuckled. "Not as glamorous as you think. Sometimes our cases are successful, sometimes they're not. Some clients are actually innocent, some not so much. Sometimes we're struggling with keeping our little "law firm that could" afloat. It has its ups and downs, that's for sure."

"But you love it." Lucy replied knowingly.

With a smiling shrug, Foggy replied, "I do. Times have been rough for Matt and I, but we both love what we do. Helping those that really need it, is pretty rewarding. We were offered jobs at this hotshot law firm Landman and Zack when we finished our internship. It would've meant great pay no doubt. But…"

"They're soulless assholes?" Lucy interjected.

"Yeah!" Foggy chuckled. "How did you guess?"

"My sister Gwen dated one of their attorneys." Lucy replied. "She visited him there and got to see what heartless douchebags they were. Safe to say, she's not seeing him anymore."

"Wow, she dodged a bullet there." Foggy commented.

"Sure did! That guy was a prick." Lucy agreed. "Well if you guys are ever in a bind money wise, I'd be happy to help. Like a silent partner or investor, or maybe I can have you guys on retainer! Being a business owner, it's good to have legal help."

Where did this goddess come from? Foggy was in awe of this woman offering to help when that was the last thing he would ever ask of her.

"Lucy," Foggy started as he held her hand. "I'm not asking you for money. I could never ask that of you. Matt and I will be fine, you don't need to trouble yourself over it. And you certainly don't need to lose your hard earned money over us."

Lucy relented, "Okay, I'll drop it for now. But I'll have you know, losing money isn't really something I have to worry about."

"Well you're an amazing baker, so that doesn't really surprise me." Foggy replied with praise.

"Well baking isn't the only thing I specialize in." Lucy stated as she took a sip of her wine. "I actually first got into carpentry with my dad as a kid. That came in handy when I was old enough to start working. Made pretty good money building furniture, doing home repairs, reupholster furniture, stuff like that. Then my mom got Gwen and I interested in dress making; made really good money making gowns for prom, doing alterations, and that kind of stuff. Ooh! Gwen actually owns the cutest pinup boutique in the upper east side, I'll have to take you over there to meet her sometime soon! She's a total doll, you'll love her. So yeah...financially, I guess I'm pretty comfortable."

Foggy sat completely awestruck, his jaw dropped practically to the floor.

_**Who IS this woman?! She's incredible! She's not only gorgeous, she's independent, brilliant, talented, thoughtful and so sweet. What is this goddess doing with a guy like me? She could have any guy she wants, and yet she's here with me. Don't fuck this up, Nelson. You'll never find an amazing woman like this one again.**_

Foggy's thoughts spoke so loud in his head, but he snapped out of his stunned silence.

"You're the most incredible woman I've ever met." He declared with genuine admiration, causing Lucy's cheeks to redden.

"Thank you!" She delightfully replied. "Most guys are usually intimidated by me. My last boyfriend certainly was." She rolled her eyes.

Foggy's eyes met hers as he leaned in closer. "Those guys were idiots who didn't appreciate you for the amazing, kickass woman you are. They clearly didn't deserve you, so it's their loss, and hopefully my gain."

Lucy's radiant smile was bright enough to light up Vegas. She couldn't help but fall even harder for the handsome blonde teddy bear. His intelligent mind, his kindness, his humor, and his genuine expression of his feelings even when he's awkward are so incredibly endearing. She wanted him so bad, and she's positive that the feeling was mutual.

The mood was heightened as the band started the beginning chords of "Sway".

_When marimba rhythms start to play_

_Dance with me, make me sway_

_Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore_

_Hold me close, sway me more_

Foggy straightened his tie as he rose out of his chair, holding his hand out to Lucy. "May I have this dance?"

Lucy's heart started racing as she eagerly grabbed his hand. "Oh god yes."

They made their way to the dance floor, the sensual song drawing more couples to dance along. Yet as Foggy held Lucy so intimately close to himself, they swayed together and it felt as if they were the only people in the room. For all they saw was each other.

* * *

_**Iris**_

"So this is basically a line dance?" Matt asked, holding me close with my back to his chest as we were slowly going over the steps of the rockabilly stroll together.

"Yep." I replied, trying to sound casual while my heart is beating like a racing jackrabbit from being in such an intimate position. "You can do this to a slow or fast song. And you're basically going in a circle. Lucy and I were drunk off our asses when she was teaching me, I'm honestly amazed I remembered it." I finished with a chuckle, causing Matt to laugh along with me.

"I wish I could've been there for that." He commented with a cheeky smile.

"Oh god no!" I exclaimed, my face turning bright red as I remembered all the things I said that night. "I'm a very silly drunk and I'd be too embarrassed for you to witness that." That's putting it mildly.

Matt chuckled in response. "I'm sure you're an adorable drunk, but I'll drop it for now." Thank god. "How much longer till the cupcakes cool?"

It took me a second to remember our desserts. The cannolis were done, the fillings and cupcake frosting were already done, we just needed the cupcakes to cool before icing them.

"I think they can stand another 10 minutes or so to cool." I replied, not wanting to leave his arms.

"Perfect." He smiled. "Let's put on a good song and take this dance on a test run."

With a gentle squeeze on his hand, I stepped away to the stereo to look through my new CDs. I put in the newest Tiger Army CD and skipped to my new favorite song "Valentina".

The sweet opening riffs filled the air as Matt held his hand out to me with that beautiful smile of his; not hesitating to twirl me into his arms, causing me to giggle as we fell into the dance steps, swaying together.

_Valentina, you are the one for me_

_Valentina, you are the one who carries my heart_

_Oh yeah_

_Valentina, how I have waited for you_

_Valentina, driving me crazy my love_

_Come back again_

_We met baby on a hot summer night_

_Now it's the autumn and I can't get it right without you_

_I want to be your man_

_A golden desert with an ultraviolet sky_

_Up and down the city streets and all throughout the night_

_For you and I the time is at hand_

"I like this song." Matt said. "Who is this?"

"Tiger Army. I met a group of musicians the other day, and one of them is really into rockabilly and psychobilly, so she recommended them to me. They've pretty much become my new favorite band." I replied as we continued dancing our stroll.

"I can see why. They're great." Matt replied. "I'd love to meet your friends some time, if that's okay with you of course. They sound pretty cool."

The thought of Matt wanting to meet my friends made me so giddy with joy. After spending so long in isolation because Paul wanted all my attention on him, it fills my heart with joy and excitement that Matt is the complete opposite of that. I wonder if I'll ever get used to it.

"I'd love for you to meet them." I replied with a smile. "You'll have to join me next time I meet up to jam with them. They're a colorful band of Gypsies, that's for sure. I hope you like them."

Matt nuzzled against my cheek as he sweetly replied, "If they make you happy just by talking about them, then I already like them. The thought of you happy makes me happy."

I couldn't stop smiling as I leaned closer against him as we slowed our dancing to a gentle sway.

_Forever angel there's no limit on my love That's what happens when someone is sent from up above_

_And I'm falling, so fast_

_Valentina, you are the one for me_

_Valentina, you are the one who carries my heart_

_Oh yeah_

_Valentina, how I have waited for you_

_Valentina, driving me crazy my love_

_Come back again_

There was a peaceful moment of silence before the next song started. I turned in Matt's embrace so that we were facing each other, still swaying together.

"You're a good dancer." I commented, running my fingers through his soft brown hair. His eyes closed as he leaned into my touch.

"I have a good teacher, who's as talented as she is beautiful." He smiled flirtatiously, caressing my hand.

I couldn't control the blush heating up my face once more. "You're incorrigible."

Matt smirked at the familiar words. "And you're irresistible."

"And…" I started before the loud growl of my empty stomach made itself known. "I'm hungry."

Matt let out a laugh, "I think it's time for our dessert."

After we iced the cupcakes, Matt gathered them along with the cannolis onto a large plate while I pulled the gelato out of the freezer and grabbed some spoons before leading him to the couch.

"Okay, so what shall we try first?" I asked him.

Matt contemplated before replying, "I'm curious about that limoncello gelato…"

"Sounds good!" I said as I reached for the spoons and scooped out two large spoonfuls of the gelato before handing one to Matt. "Bon appetité."

I lightly clinked my spoon against his before eating the cold, smooth, creamy, lemony, delicious gelato. It came out better than I thought it would!

Matt apparently shared the sentiment as he let out a deep groan. "Oh my god, Iris, this is amazing!"

"Really? You really like it?" I asked, beaming with pride.

"I love it!" He exclaimed, reaching for the gelato to get more. "You did an amazing job, sweetheart. You should sell this at the bakery."

My heart skipped a beat at him calling me "sweetheart". I don't know if he meant to say it, or if it was a slip of the tongue, but I wanted him to keep calling me that. Paul always called me "Princess", which I really came to hate. It made me feel like a doll, like he owned me. But Matt calling me something so sweet and simple as "Sweetheart", made me feel warm and cherished. Funny how something so simple and common as that term of endearment can affect me so much.

"You're too kind," I blushed in reply. "I probably _could_ sell this, but I kinda like the idea of this just being for us." I shyly looked away, helping myself to some more gelato.

Matt reached over to gently tilt my chin up. "I kinda like that too."

We smiled in our moment of silence. I cleared my throat, "What shall we try next?"

"I'll let you pick." He replied as he set aside the gelato container.

I looked over our plate, and I reached for a cannoli. I held it up to his sweet, tempting lips. "Open up."

With a teasing smirk, Matt opened his mouth and bit into the cannoli. The moans he let out were damn near sinful.

"That's delicious." He groaned, eating the rest of the treat. "You have a real talent, Iris."

"I can't take all the credit, Matt." I replied, helping myself to a cannoli. It really was delicious. "You did an excellent job with the mascarpone filling."

Matt smiled and shook his head in protest. "I only did the mixing for your recipe, Ms. Williams."

"I object, Mr. Murdock. Maybe you have the magic touch and it made the mixture even better." I argued in jest.

"I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, huh, counselor?" Matt teased with that sexy smirk.

"I guess so, fellow counselor." I replied, giggling over our lawyer banter.

Matt reached for one of the cupcakes and held it up to the general direction of my lips. "Now I believe we have one dessert left, and I think it's only right for you to have the first bite this time."

I placed my hand on his wrist, my fingertips lightly caressing his pulse as I leaned forward to bite into the cupcake. This time I was the one moaning as the flavors of coffee, cocoa, vanilla, and mascarpone exploded in my mouth. I could feel Matt's pulse racing in reaction to the noises I made. It was good to see I wasn't the only one getting a little excited.

I gently took the cupcake out of his hand and held it up to his lips, not realizing that we scooted even closer to each other to the point that I was practically on his lap. The tension that had been building throughout the night was becoming too much to bear.

"Want a taste?" I asked, reduced to a whisper.

Matt's eyes were dark and dilated, his breathing heavy against my fingers. He opened his mouth to take a small bite of the cupcake, his teeth lightly grazed my fingers, making shivers run down my spine. He slid his arm around me to pull me closer; I was fully straddled on his lap now, and I still couldn't get close enough.

"Perfect." He whispered back, his voice deliciously deeper.

A part of my mind kept nagging about how familiar he sounded. But all I cared about at that moment was tasting those perfect lips again. Lips that were now slightly covered in mascarpone frosting.

"You have some frosting on your lip." I breathily pointed out, my body heating up with arousal.

Matt set down the half eaten cupcake, pulling me closer. I became fully aware of the hardness that formed in his lap.

"Where?" He asked, almost sounding coy if it weren't for that deep and sexy voice of his.

I leaned my forehead against his, our heavy breaths intermingling. I raised my trembling finger to his lips, wiping off the smidge of frosting. His lips caught my finger, sucking the tip into his mouth, his tongue licking off the frosting. The heat throbbing between my legs became unbearable.

"There." I replied, remembering how to speak.

That was the trigger word to snap the tension in two. Matt didn't spare another second before he finally pulled me to his lips into the most intense kiss I've ever had.

He wrapped his arms around me in a vice-like grip, I had one hand grasping his broad shoulder, and the other in his hair to push his mouth closer to mine.

His tongue dominantly gained entrance past my lips, electricity ran through my body as his sinful tongue eagerly caressed mine. He let out a deep groan that vibrated through me.

I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist as I started to grind my arousal into his, causing him to let out an animalistic growl that made me dampen even more. His hands slid down to get a firm grip on my ass, grinding my hips even harder against his.

I pulled away from his swollen lips to take a breath, letting out a loud, desperate moan. Matt's grip tightened at the sound, his lips kissing and sucking at my neck as he grinded even harder against me.

I moaned even louder, my body felt so aroused and alive for the first time in my life. I didn't want it to end!

"I want you." I whispered into his ear, my voice shaky from desire. "I want you so bad."

I lightly bit his earlobe, causing him let out a deep groan. He lowered me to the couch, I was now on my back with Matt right on top of me.

He pulled back to meet my eyes. His brown eyes dark with lust, it was easy to forget that he couldn't see.

"Is this okay?" He asked sweetly, gently caressing my cheek.

My heart melted at how even in an intense state of arousal, Matt was willing to stop to make sure I wanted this. I didn't think I could possibly desire him even more than I already did, but he managed to prove me wrong. This is the first time I've ever had control in a situation like this, and I'll be damned if we stopped now.

"Yes." I replied before running my fingers through his hair, yanking him back to my lips once more.

* * *

_**Foggy**_

The date went better than Foggy could've ever hoped for. He and Lucy danced the night away, stopped to eat their dinner, talked and laughed, and danced some more. A couple guys had asked Lucy for a dance, and she turned them down flat, only having eyes for Foggy.

Foggy had gotten tossed aside by girls in similar situations in the past, but Lucy proved once again that she was a whole other league from those girls. Being with her made him feel like a king, and he took pleasure in treating her like a Goddess.

The night was sadly coming to an end as Foggy walked Lucy to her apartment building. Like a gentleman, he opened the door for her and walked her to the stairs.

"I had a wonderful time, Foggy." Lucy turned to him with a smile. "This has been the best date I've ever had in a long time."

Foggy beamed with pure joy. "Thanks, Lucy. I had a wonderful time too."

Lucy grinned as they began their ascent up the stairs, however, it was slowed to a stop by Foggy who was now three steps behind her.

"Everything okay?" Lucy asked out of concern.

Foggy cleared his throat to ease his sudden nerves before he spoke.

"Lucy, I'm about to make a fool of myself with what I'm about to say, but I gotta say it." He started, gazing into her beautiful grey eyes. "I don't have the best history with women. Some don't find me attractive, sometimes I tend to come on a little strong, I do stupid things to get close to them. In college, I took a language class for Punjabi just to try to date a girl who was taking it for God sakes. It didn't work out and I just wasted my time learning Punjabi when I should've taken Spanish instead!" He let out an embarrassed laugh. "The point is, I've been turned down a lot, and the few relationships I've had were disasters. But none of those women have ever truly made me feel the way I feel when I'm with you." Lucy smiled, Foggy continued. "You're the most beautiful and exciting woman I've ever met in my whole life! You're so sweet, funny, smart, you have all these amazing skills that I wish I knew how to do. You're incredible. You're a goddess! I love your quirks, I love your style...I love _you_." Lucy let out a gasp. "I know it's so soon, and I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I can't help it. I know what I feel for you is real, and I can't waste another minute hesitating or thinking about 'What if?'. You make me enjoy my life, you make me want to be a better man. You are the woman of my dreams, Lucy Addams. You are my Morticia. And I wish so badly to be your Gomez. But if you don't feel the same way, just tell me and I'll underst-"

Foggy was cut off by Lucy's lips claiming his in a passionate kiss. His heart was bursting as he held her closer, deepening their kiss. She tasted of wine and sweet vanilla, and he was addicted. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would ever get to have an amazing woman like Lucy in his arms. If this was a dream, he sure as hell didn't wanna wake up.

The kiss ended too soon for his liking, but Lucy's lips hovered over his as she passionately whispered, "I love you too."

Foggy's heart stopped. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was finally going to be loved back.

Lucy ran her fingers through his short blonde hair. Her other hand grabbed his tie as she asked seductively, "Would you like to stay the night ..._Mon Cher_?"

Foggy felt goosebumps rise on his skin at the familiar French term.

"_Cara Mia._" He replied as he scooped his Morticia into his arms and carried her up the stairs to her apartment, where they would stay for the rest of the night.

* * *

_**Iris**_

The music had long ago stopped, and the only sounds that could be heard were our lips kissing, and the moans that followed.

My body was on fire from Matt's heated touch. His sinful hands were everywhere; touching my face to feel my reactions to him, touching and squeezing my breasts after I insisted that it was okay; caressing my thighs with those burning fingertips and venturing so close yet so far from where I really wanted his touch.

I just wanted our clothes off already!

His hardness grinding into the heat between my legs was the most delicious form of torture. Matt was delicious period. His hair unkempt from my ministrations, his shirt unbuttoned with his white undershirt blocking my view of his naked torso hiding underneath, his perfect lips red and swollen from or kissing, his brown eyes now almost black from desire. His pants, I could tell, were noticeably tighter due to his more than impressive hardened arousal.

**_I was right! I knew it was big!_**

Feeling it was amazing, but now I wanted to see it. Matt's hips stuttered as I started unbuckling his belt.

"Are you sure?" He stopped to ask me, gently holding my wrists.

I kissed him in response. "Yes. I want this. I want _you_." I moved his hand up my inner thigh, closer and closer to my heat. I was desperate for him, I was begging, "Touch me. _Please_."

Matt was breathing heavy as his fingertips grazed the outside of my panties, he groaned hungrily at how wet I was.

Just as he was about to pull my panties off, he stopped.

His head popped up and titled as if he heard something, his body stiffened in alarm.

"What's wrong?" I asked, breathless and confused and the sudden interruption.

Matt looked down at me, regret on his face as he said the dreaded words, "I have to go."

"_What?!_" I exclaimed as I sat up when he stood from the couch. "Why?"

Matt hurriedly buckled his belt, and reached for his jacket. "There's something I have to do, I don't have time to explain." He turned and walked over to me, "I'm so sorry."

"I don't understand. What is it you have to do that you have to leave like this?" I frowned, starting to feel my insecurities creep back. "Is it me? Did I do something wrong? Am I moving too fast, because I thought we were having a good time."

Matt reached for my face with both hands and eagerly replied, "No, no, _God no_, it's not you at all! This night, being here with you has been amazing! I just have something urgent to take care of." He leaned in and kissed my fiercely and tenderly. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

He let me go and made his way to the door. "I gotta go, but I swear I'll come by. I'll call you. Goodnight, Iris."

And with that, he was gone.

My heart was beating loudly from the adrenaline, my appearance was no doubt as unkempt as Matt's was, and my earlier arousal changed into full blown frustration and confusion. And all I could do was ask myself:

"What the fuck was that?!"

* * *

_**Later That Night**_

I couldn't bring myself to call Lucy, no matter how badly I wanted to. She was most likely still on her date with Foggy, and I wouldn't forgive myself if I interrupted them. Claire's out of the question, she's either working at the hospital or asleep. And my band of gypsies don't know the intimate details of my life yet, so I can't call any of them. And I still can't bring myself to actually talk to my mom yet, no matter how much I want to hear her voice again. So I just settled for taking a cold shower and shamelessly eating almost all of the remaining desserts myself.

I just didn't understand what the hell happened, and it's frustrating the hell out of me. He left so abruptly and was annoyingly vague, and I was having the female equivalent of blue balls.

_**The least he could've done was give me my first real orgasm before running off. I should buy a damn vibrator.**_

I decided to walk up to the roof level and get some fresh air. I needed to get out of that apartment, all I could smell was Matt, and it just kept frustrating me. The air was cool, the city was lit up, yet the world fell silent. My thoughts were too loud, maybe the silence can clear my head. I looked up at the starlit sky for answers that I won't get.

I was pulled away from my thoughts when I heard a sudden crashing noise behind me. The rooftop was dark, and I was the only one up here. I was on high alert. I looked for a possible defense weapon, finding an empty beer bottle. It'll have to do.

I slowly walked in the direction of the noise, where I heard a pained grunt.

"Who's there?" I asked, trying not to sound scared.

I heard more grunting and shuffling as I found the source of the noise. I immediately dropped the beer bottle when I saw a familiar figure under the light.

There in his familiar black attire, leaning in pain against the wall of the doorway, was Daredevil. Bloodied and wounded.

* * *

**Annnnnd that's it for now! I know I'm mean for the cliffhanger, but don't worry, I'm working on the next one as we speak! I hope you guys liked it, PLEASE be sure to comment on this chapter and let me know what you think, feedback makes me happy! Until next time...*kiss noise***


	11. The Devil That You Don't Know

**Hiiii guys! I'm back with a new chapter and boy are you guys in for a roller coaster! I'm gonna keep this intro short and sweet, I just hope you guys will love this as much as I do! Annnnd here we go!**

* * *

Chapter 11: The Devil That You Don't Know

"Holy shit, you're hurt!" I exclaimed as I crouched down to the bloody vigilante.

He grunted as he struggled to stand up. "I'm fine."

"My ass, you're fine! You look beaten to shit!" I reached for his arm to help him up.

"Thanks, it's a new look I'm going for." He smirked, but it looked more like a grimace.

_**Seriously? This guy's being sarcastic at a time like this?**_

I rolled my eyes, leaning him on my shoulder. "Okay, wise ass. If you're well enough to be sarcastic, then maybe this isn't as serious as it looks." _**I hope. **_"Now let's get you inside and get this taken care of before anyone sees you."

"You don't have to do that." He protested. "It's not nece-"

"Oh yes it _is _'nece'!" I argued as I held him firm against me as we walked down the steps toward my apartment floor. "It's _absolutely_ 'nece'. Now cut the stubborn martyr nonsense and let me help you."

"Yes, ma'am."

And that was the end of that until we got into my apartment, luckily unseen by anyone. I walked him to my couch, silently thanking god I didn't have to carry all of his weight, because holy fuck, he was _heavy. _

_**Maybe I should start lifting weights. That took a lot out of me!**_

I noticed his left arm was dangling funny. _**Dislocated shoulder; recognize that anywhere. **_

I gently sat him down on the couch before running to my bedroom to retrieve the first aid kit I kept in my backpack. I set it on the table once I made it back to him.

"Okay, so before I treat any of your wounds, we should take care of that dislocated shoulder before it gets worse." I grabbed his hand to hold his arm straight in front of him.

"Okay take a deep breath," I instructed; he inhaled deeply, his spine stiffened up. "On the count of 10…" His head tilted in confusion. "1, 2, 10!" I quickly pulled his arm forward until I heard the loud pop of the shoulder going back in its socket.

The vigilante let out a pained grunt as he wiggled and flexed his arm. I opened the first aid kit and activated one of the cold compress packs and pressed it to his shoulder.

"You're gonna wanna keep an ice pack or a heating pad on that shoulder for at least a few days and use a sling if you have one. Otherwise just _try _to take it easy. You don't want that to pop out again, you'll have a bad time. Believe me_._" I handed him some aspirin from the kit and grabbed a water for him.

"Thank you." He spoke gently.

I smiled in reply. "Now let's look at those wounds. Where are you hit?"

He grunted as he pulled his shirt up, the cuts and bruises distracted me from gawking at his otherwise _ripped _torso. _**No wonder he was heavy. Look at that muscle!**_

I shook myself out of my thoughts before I could get carried away and started cleaning the cuts.

He hissed at the sting of the rubbing alcohol and peroxide.

"Sorry."

He grunted. "Don't be, it's okay. You're doing a great job."

I chuckled. "Thanks. May I say though that your outfit is the worst? It doesn't protect you at all."

"It's a work in progress. Ah!" He gasped as I cleaned the biggest cut on his stomach.

"Sorry. That one's gonna need stitches." I pulled out the needle and thread I kept in the kit; I sterilized the needle before I started stitching at his permission. "So work in progress, huh? Can it progress a little faster? Because you're in serious need of armor or something."

"Armor will slow me down." He argued.

"Tough shit, you _need _it. If this is something you plan on doing long term, the least you can do is wear some kind of protective gear."

He chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind." There was a moment of silence before he asked, "How are you so good at this?"

"Good at what?" I asked, still focused on the stitching.

"Stitching me up, pulling my shoulder back in its socket. You didn't even hesitate. You look a little young to be a doctor. Are you a nurse? Med student?"

I hesitated before answering. "Neither. I...I've had personal experience. And I had to teach myself."

The air was filled with tense silence as I finished his stitches. I looked up at him and the sight of him instantly made me nervous; his jaw was so tense I could practically hear his teeth grinding. His hands were tightened into fists so tight, they were shaking. I couldn't stop myself from shifting away from him.

As if he could hear my frantic heartbeat, he loosened his fists and let out a heavy exhale.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." He spoke softly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I would _never _hurt you." His voice cracked slightly. "It's just...you're a sweet girl. And the thought of _someone _being the reason you had to learn how to treat those kinds of injuries makes me angry."

I relaxed a little at his statement. I didn't like the idea of making him angry.

I tentatively reached for his hand, rubbing it in a comforting gesture.

"Please don't be angry. I'm sorry I brought it up. It was a long time ago since it was _that _bad," _**six months to be exact **_"And I'm okay now." I assured him.

He turned his hand to hold mine in a gentle grip. "Please don't apologize for something you didn't deserve. Nobody deserves to be treated like that, least of all a sweet innocent woman like you who goes out of her way to help a masked stranger when she doesn't have to."

I gave a soft smile as I placed a bandage over his stitches. "I'm helping you because I _want to_. After all, you _did_ save my life. What kind of person would I be if I didn't return the favor?"

"A sane one?" He asked with a smirk.

"Shut up." I chuckled as I checked the rest of his sexy torso for anymore wounds. His abs visibly tightened at the heat of my touch, I could hear his breath hitch. Before I could lose myself in the sight of him, I pulled down his shirt when I didn't see anymore wounds to treat. "Anywhere else that's wounded? How's your head?"

I lifted my hand to his masked face, but his hand quickly yet gently grabbed my wrist before my fingertips could graze him.

"It's fine." He replied with a slight edge to his voice.

I dropped my hand with a sigh and grabbed a rag to wipe the blood off his face, mindful of the cut on his lip. "I wasn't gonna take off your mask. I just wanted to check if you had a concussion."

He reached for my hand to gently hold. "I'm sorry. It's just-"

"You don't have to explain yourself." I cut him off. "I understand."

He relaxed with relief, still holding my hand. I could feel the warmth despite the barrier of his thick black glove. Warmth that made me feel safe, protected. It made me want to move closer to his arms so they could wrap me into his protective warmth.

_**What about Matt?**_

As if a bucket of ice water had splashed in my face, I stiffened and snapped out of my daze. _**How could I forget about Matt? What's wrong with me?! Yes, he ran out in the middle of our date, leaving me high and dry no less, but that's no excuse to lust over a mysterious vigilante. **_

I gently pulled my hand out of his grip, causing his lips to frown slightly. I cleared my throat. "So you're sure your head's okay? I don't want you to say yes only to pass out from a concussion as soon as you get up."

He chuckled as he rose up from the couch, "I promise you that I'm fine. I appreciate your concern."

"You don't have to leave right now," I insisted, standing up with him. "You can rest here a little longer to gain back your strength."

"Thank you, but I've taken up enough of your time. I should really be going." He replied as he turned away.

"Are you gonna disappear mysteriously into the night?" I asked him.

He smirked at me in amusement, "I figured I'd use your door."

"Fair enough." I shrugged, walking him to the door, checking that the coast was clear. "Please don't go looking for more trouble tonight. You may be feeling fine now, but you're still injured. Take care of yourself at the very least."

He tilted his head to look at me, his lips lifting into a soft smile. "I'll try my best-"

"_Do_ or _do not_. There is no 'try!'" I cut him off, blocking him from the door.

"Okay, okay, you win." He held his hands up in surrender. "I will _do_ my best to take care of myself and not _intentionally _look for trouble."

I let out an exasperated breath as I shifted from the doorway. "I guess I can't ask for any more than that, so I'll let you go now."

The vigilante stepped out into the hallway, and he turned to face me once more. "Thank you for helping me, Ir-uh... I really owe you one. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?"

"Don't get killed." I replied. "You're a good man, doing dangerous things in order to keep people like me safe. There are too many monsters out there. It's comforting knowing that there are people like you trying to get rid of them. Just please, be careful out there."

I didn't even realize I held up my hand to touch his bruised cheek until I felt his warm skin under my palm. He let out a breath as he leaned into my touch, his gloved hand holding onto mine.

"Thank you." He whispered, his lips tenderly kissed my palm. "I will ...for you."

He held onto my hand a moment longer before backing away and disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, my apartment feeling cold and empty once more.

* * *

_Next Morning _

I woke up the next morning feeling restless.

My brain was too awake trying to find answers for last night.

_**Why did Matt leave in such a hurry? We were having the best date, and it was getting even better…so why did he just run off? Why couldn't he give me a simple straight answer? **_

_**He said it wasn't because of me...but was it?**_

_**Was I moving things too fast? **_

I have to admit that I was really surprised with myself for progressing things so quickly. My only sexual experiences were with Paul, and it was always full of pain, discomfort, and fear. I honestly thought I would _never _want to have sex for the rest of my life...until I met Matt.

I've known him for such a short time, and yet he's treated me far better than Paul _ever _did. With Matt, I felt cherished, beautiful, safe, and desired. I wanted him, when I didn't think I was ever gonna be capable of wanting ever again. And I thought the feeling was mutual. It sure _felt _mutual. Maybe I shouldn't jump so quickly into the physical stuff. That's something he and I will have to talk about the next time I see him.

Then my thoughts turned to my surprise visitor/patient.

I can't get him out of my head. I honestly haven't stopped thinking about him since the night he saved me.

It wasn't just because I felt drawn to him, but because he was the first person to have ever saved me from danger. For too long, I've had to suffer under the hands of someone I thought I loved. I spent three years of my life praying for someone to save me before losing hope and saving myself. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever meet someone who went out of their way to save a complete stranger like that.

There's a big part of me that really wants to see him again. I felt safe and comfortable around him; I longed to feel the warmth of his gentle touch again. I longed to see the face behind the mask.

But the other part of me is hating myself for betraying Matt by thinking about some stranger whose face I've never even seen.

I really like Matt, but the way he ran off just has me thinking he doesn't like me as much as I thought.

_**Maybe I came on too strong, or maybe I'm a lousy kisser...or maybe he felt the ugly scars on my body and it turned him off. **_

_**But he seemed so sincere when he was leaving, like he didn't want to leave me. **_

_**But why couldn't he give me a real explanation? **_

_**Why do I have this heavy feeling in my gut that he's lying to me? **_

_**And why can't I stop thinking about Daredevil? **_

_**Why do I feel just as comfortable around him as I do Matt? **_

_**Why do I want them both?**_

_**Fuck, my brain hurts from thinking so damn much!**_

I forced myself out of bed and got ready for work.

Dressed and ready to go with a coffee cup in my hand, I exited my apartment and locked the door. My eyes turned toward Matt's apartment, and I walked to his door without a second thought.

I knocked on the door. No answer. I gave it a minute before trying again.

"Matt?" I called out, hoping he'll answer.

But there was none.

_**Maybe he left for work early. Or maybe he slept in the office. He's **_**not **_**avoiding you. **_

Letting out an uneasy breath, I turned away from the door and walked out of the building.

* * *

I made it to work a few minutes early. I was welcomed with the amusing sight of Lucy dancing around the bakery, singing to the music as she was laying out the treats.

_It doesn't matter where you go or what you do_

_I want to spend each moment of the day with you_

_Look what has happened with just one kiss_

_I never knew that I could be in love like this_

_It's crazy but it's true, I only want to be with you_

"I take it the date went well?" I greeted with a knowing smile.

She twirled around to face me, her eyes and smile shining brighter than the sun.

"Iris, my love!" She exclaimed cheerfully as she ran to me, pulling me into her arms and twirling me in a circle with my feet dangling in the air.

I giggled hysterically until she put me down. "I take that as a yes?"

"Oh my god, Iris, you have no idea!" She replied as she pulled me to one of the empty tables to sit down. "It was the best date I've had in a long time...probably the best date _ever _really. Foggy was absolutely perfect!" She let out a dreamy sigh. "He was a total gentleman. He got a new haircut and looked so sexy, I nearly melted. We danced the night away, we talked, we laughed, and…" she trailed off to lean in closer, "I invited him to stay the night with me."

"And?" I asked with impatient excitement.

Lucy slyly lowered the silk neck scarf she was wearing to show the hickies on her neck.

I let out a squeal of joy, causing her to burst into giggles. "Oh my god, Luce! I'm so happy for you! How was it?"

Lucy's cheeks turned to a rosy pink. "It was the best sex of my life!" She exclaimed. "Oh my god, Iris, Foggy is so amazing. He's such a giver, and I mean that in _every _sense of the word. The things that man can do with his tongue…" she trailed off in a dreamy daze. "My legs are turning into jello just thinking about it."

_**I'm glad that at least **_**one **_**of us got laid last night. **_

"Holy shit, sounds like Foggy has some serious skill." Was all I could think to say.

Lucy's grin widened. "We barely got any sleep the entire night."

My eyes widened in amazement. "Wow. I had no idea it could be like that! So things are getting pretty serious between you guys?"

Lucy held my hand in a tight grip in excitement. "Iris...he told me he _loves_ me!"

I gasped. "Oh my god, Luce, that's huge! What did you say?"

"The truth. That I love him too." She replied with her bright smile still intact. "I know that it's crazy to move so fast, but being with him feels so right! He's so beautiful inside and out, he's fun, he makes me laugh, he makes me feel so loved. The way he poured his heart out to me was so genuine and so sweet. I've always gone by my gut feeling, and this time it told me to never let this man go. I adore him. Plain and simple."

I felt bittersweet tears well up in my eyes. I felt so happy for Lucy, but I felt a little sad that I couldn't have that same assurance for myself.

"That's so wonderful, Lucy." I replied, my voice cracking. "I'm so happy for you and Foggy. He's a great guy."

Lucy's brows furrowed in concern. "Iris are you okay? Didn't your date go well?"

I couldn't keep the few stray tears from escaping my eyes. "I don't know." My voice cracked. "We were having a great time. Matt was so amazing and so sweet. One minute we were kissing, and it was getting so intense, and the next minute _he leaves_! With no real explanation! He swears it's not because of me, but I feel like he's lying to me. I feel like I did something wrong and I don't know what! I'm so confused."

Lucy rose out of her chair and pulled me in her comforting embrace. "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. I don't believe you did anything wrong. I've seen how he is around you, he _likes _you- hell it's stronger than 'like'. He probably forgot to take care of something involving a case he and Foggy are working on. They were here the other day talking about a client, so it must've been about that."

I pulled away to look at her. "But why couldn't he just tell me that? He left in such a hurry, and was so vague."

"Sweetie, guys are stupid." She replied in a chuckle. "Even handsome lawyers. He probably just wasn't thinking, and was stressing out about whatever he might've screwed up on. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll come groveling to you and explain himself."

What Lucy said was making sense, I started to relax with relief. "I hope you're right. I hope everything's okay with him."

* * *

_2 weeks later_

Two weeks.

Two _fucking _weeks, and no sign of Matt.

At first I was feeling depressed and confused. I couldn't understand why he couldn't just talk to me. He could've told me he was busy, or that he didn't want to see me anymore, _something. _It would've hurt if he said he didn't want to see me anymore, but at least I would actually _know_, instead of sitting around wondering and stressing out.

The closest I got to an explanation was through Foggy, that he's busy with a case.

I can understand that, really I can. But why the hell couldn't he just tell me that himself? We only live right next door to each other! He hasn't once stopped by, and he never answers the door when I go to him.

I went from depressed to aggravated. The first man I allowed myself to be completely open with since I ran off to New York, and he completely avoids me.

I'm not trying to be clingy at all, I don't expect him to drop everything for me. What upsets me is that he apparently doesn't respect me enough to be honest with me like I was with him.

Foggy looked remorseful every time he saw me. He swore that Matt still wants to see me, that he wasn't avoiding me on purpose; but I'm having a much harder time believing him.

Lucy was an absolute godsend.

She kept my mind occupied at work; and when she saw how lonely I felt at my apartment, she started alternating between staying over with me, or having me stay at her place.

She took me to the upper east side, where I got to finally meet her just as gorgeous and talented younger sister Gwen at her pinup boutique. We hit it off as instantly as I did with Lucy. The three of us were inseparable.

With both sisters' help, my apartment was redecorated with a vibrant, wildly colorful gypsy bohemian interior that I fell madly in love with, making the apartment truly feel like home. They also saw fit to provide me a new wardrobe, despite my constant protests that they shouldn't spend money on me; only for them to argue that the clothes and the decor are gifts and that I'm not allowed to pay them back. I let that go, for now.

Claire stopped by the bakery a few times to check on me, and enjoyed many helpings of the desserts I offered her. She didn't get to hang out very much because of her job, but she and Lucy got along great.

On one of her rare days off, she joined Gwen, Lucy, and I to Guitar Center, so they got to meet my band of Gypsies, and enjoyed watching me jam with them.

It warmed my heart so much to be surrounded by these amazing people, that for some reason wanted to be _my _friends. I felt wanted and accepted.

A piece of me, however, was still longing for Matt. I couldn't stop thinking about him. I also couldn't keep my thoughts away from the mysterious vigilante.

Most of the time, I get this feeling like I'm being watched, yet I never see anyone. I'd like to think that it's my late night visitor keeping a protective watch over me. It's more comforting than the alternative, which I've been working really hard not to think about.

Ever since I've opened up about my past with Paul, the nightmares started to go away. The fear was still ever present, but my friends keeping me company helped keep that fear at bay. I was starting to feel more and more safe.

Tonight, Lucy made good on her promise to take me to a midnight showing of _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ for the first time. Gwen and the band of Gypsies joined us, but unfortunately Claire had to work. The experience was more wild and fun than I could've imagined, I didn't want it to end!

It was almost 3:30 in the morning by the time I made it to my apartment building. Lucy and Gwen wanted me to stay the night with them, but I insisted I was fine with sleeping in my own place tonight.

I exited the elevator to my floor, I hesitated in my steps when my eyes shifted to Matt's apartment door. Despite the welcoming distractions as of late, I still miss Matt something fierce. I miss his sweet smile, that silky voice that always made me feel safe and excited at the same time. I miss the touch of his sweet, seductive lips, and those teasing callused hands. I miss how he can make me laugh one minute, and comfort me the next. _I miss him. _

I felt the walls start closing in on me until I struggled to breathe, I needed fresh air. I took the steps to the roof and took in a deep breath of the night air. I leaned against the wall overlooking the city. The city lights bright and vibrant, the billboard facing the apartment building shining even brighter, the stars barely present due to the lights, the air was silent.

I hate myself for pining over Matt like some lovesick teenager, but I can't help it. I just wish I knew what was going on with him. If he doesn't like me anymore, then fine. It'll hurt, but I'll get over it. Just give me some damn closure!

"Penny for your thoughts?" A familiar deep voice spoke behind me.

I let out a startled gasp and turned around to see Daredevil standing a couple feet away from me.

"Jesus!" I exclaimed.

"Not quite." He replied with that sly smirk, causing me to roll my eyes. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"Glad to see you're all healed up, but I'll accept your apology when you start wearing a damn bell around your neck." I replied with a huff.

The vigilante chuckled. "I'll think about it..._someday._"

My heart paused as I remembered a similar conversation with Matt…

"_If you get one, I might actually wear it…" he trailed off in thought. "Someday."_

_I rolled my eyes and giggled, "People always say "someday" when they actually mean "no chance in Hell". That kind of defeats the purpose of getting the bell." I raised my eyebrow at him expectantly as I continued, "You want to try that again, Mr. Murdock?"_

_Matt looked deep in thought before he leaned in closer, his warm breath making my face heat up like a furnace and my heart racing at ludicrous speed._

_He replied with a sly smirk. "Someday."_

"Are you okay?" Daredevil's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

_**He sounds so familiar….oh god, stop! It couldn't possibly be him. You just want it to be him so you don't feel guilty for being attracted to two men. **_

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied. "I just have a lot on my mind."

He cocked his head to the side as he stepped towards me. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Oh no, you don't wanna hear about my stupid problems." I gave an embarrassed chuckle as he leaned against the wall next to me.

"Don't say that. If something's troubling you, it's not stupid. Maybe I could help, like you helped me." He replied with a sweet smile.

"That's sweet of you to offer, but I don't think you can help me in this case." I argued.

"Try me." He insisted.

I looked at him as I hesitated for a moment. _**What the hell. What do I have to lose telling him about my guy problems? Part of them anyway. **_

I let out a sigh. "There's a guy." I started. He nodded for me to continue. "He lives next door to me, and he's great. I like him a lot, and I _thought_ he liked me...but I'm starting to think he doesn't."

Daredevil frowned. "Why would you think that?"

I shrugged. "We had a date one night, and it was going great." I blushed thinking about our heated makeout session that night. "And just as things were going further, he just stops everything and leaves. Like he couldn't get out fast enough. He said it wasn't because of me, but he couldn't be bothered to explain, or at least give me a straight answer; so I'm thinking that it _is _because of me. It's been two weeks now, and I _still _haven't seen or heard from him. So now I think he just wants nothing to do with me and is just avoiding me without at least having the decency to tell me why, and it fucking hurts!"

I didn't realize I had started crying during my word vomit until the vigilante came closer to me to gently wipe my tears. I looked up at him, his face crumpled with a deep frown of guilt and remorse.

I looked away embarrassed. "I'm sorry for spitting all that out. Like I said, my problems are stupid."

"Please don't say that." He begged, his voice cracking slightly. "Your problems are not stupid. And you have every right to be upset. I'm-" His voice cracked once more. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I gave a weak smile in return. "You have nothing to be sorry for, but I appreciate the sentiment. It's not the first time I've been wrong about a man, and it probably won't be the last."

He shook his head in earnest. "He's an _idiot. _It's probably a huge misunderstanding and an act of stupidity on his part. I'm sure he feels the exact opposite of what you think. He probably likes you a lot more than you think, how can he _not_? You're so kind and sweet, you're funny, you're smart, you go out of your way to help a complete stranger who probably doesn't deserve your kindness," He smirked referring to himself. "And...you're the most beautiful woman in the world, inside and out. You deserve to be cherished and loved by a good man who is worthy of you."

I could barely breathe let alone speak by the end of his passionate speech. My heart was beating so hard and fast, I'm sure he could hear it.

"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." I replied in a whisper, my voice cracking with tears I'm struggling to hold back.

"It's true. All of it." He answered, caressing my cheek.

Instead of pulling away like I probably should, I held his hand to my cheek as I stepped closer to him. "I don't know anything about you, but... I can't stop thinking about you."

He raised his other hand to run his fingers through my hair.

"Neither can I." He replied, his voice now husky with want.

His nose lightly rubbed against mine, our heavy breaths intermingling.

I gave in to the urge to ask him a question that's been on my mind the past two weeks. "Have you been watching over me? Have you been following me?"

His throat contracted as he swallowed his breath before replying. "Yes. I don't mean for it to be creepy or anything. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

I probably should've been creeped out, but I was honestly relieved. I'd rather it be him than someone who haunts my nightmares.

I reached up to caress his cheek in return. "You already make me feel safe."

Without a second thought, Daredevil leaned down and slammed his lips against mine.

I couldn't bring myself to pull away, and instead pulled him closer, causing him to hold me tighter. His tongue met mine, seeking dominance, which I happily gave.

My pulse was racing, my skin was tingling, the heat between my legs grew even hotter. His kisses took my breath away; they were addicting and sinful. His lips were full, sweet, and..._familiar. _

I've tasted these lips before.

As if ice water splashed in my face, I froze up before yanking myself out of his arms. I gasped in a breath as I looked at him with widened eyes.

With a shaky hand, I touched my now swollen lips as everything finally added up in my head.

_**Oh my god. How could I have been so stupid? How could it take me **_**this **_**long to figure it out?!**_

The familiar voice. The way he talked to me. The familiar lips. The way he moves. The vague excuse for running off that night and then returning late that same night _injured. _

I wanted to believe it, but I doubted myself every single time. Not anymore.

The vigilante let out a shaky breath. "What's wrong?"

I blinked back into focus, not sure how to feel about this revelation. All I could think to say was, "Come inside, we need to talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked softly, as if afraid of the answer.

I stepped in closer to him and spoke at a volume only he can hear. "I think you know exactly what we need to talk about. You owe me that much, _Matt_."

* * *

**Dun dun DUUUUUUUN! Holy shit, Iris knows! How do you think she's gonna take it? Will she be pissed and dump him? Or will she accept him completely? Or both? You'll find out in chapter 12, until then, PLEASE be sure to reblog, leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, I love reading comments! And be sure to follow me if you aren't already to stay updated. Well that's all for now, I hope it was worth the wait. Until next time….*kiss noise***


	12. Send Me An Angel

**I'm back y'all! Sorry for the wait, I really would've gotten this up sooner, but with finishing classes before spring break and this coronavirus hysteria going on, it's just been insane! But here I am with chapter 12, quite a bit happens in this one, be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions. There may be tears. Enough of my rambling, onward to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Send Me An Angel

The air was tense with silence as we entered my apartment. Matt lingered in the doorway, hesitant to step inside.

"Well, come in." I demanded.

He let out a sigh and entered further inside, closing the door behind him. I locked the door to ensure our privacy and pulled a couple water bottles out of the fridge.

I turned to him and saw he still had the black mask on. "Please take off your mask. There's no point in having it on in front of me anymore."

Matt reached up with shaky hands to remove the mask, revealing his familiar sweet face that was filled with remorse.

"Iris-"

"Say it." I cut him off.

"What?" He asked, stepping closer yet still keeping a respective distance.

"Who you are." I clarified. "I need to hear you say it, so I know this is real. That it's not just in my mind. _Say it._"

He let out an exhale as he handed me his mask. "I'm Daredevil."

The tension in the air was so thick and heavy, I had to take a seat on the couch. I held his mask tightly as I looked up at him, he stood still in the same spot.

"How is that possible?" I asked, scooting back on the couch to make room for him. "You're _blind. _How are you able to do all those things when you can't even see?"

He tentatively walked to the couch, hesitant to sit down. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the seat next to me.

"New couch?" Matt asked as he took off his gloves and felt the soft, unfamiliar material of the seat cushion.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I redecorated." I replied, thrown off by the question.

"I like it." He gave a soft, sweet smile.

"Thank you, quit changing the subject." I replied, getting a little annoyed. "I told you _everything _about me, Matt. And you _know_ how hard and painful that was for me to do, so please extend me the same courtesy. I deserve that much after what you put me through for the past two weeks."

Letting out a sigh, Matt turned to me and reached for my hand. "You're right. And I'm so sorry for putting you through that. I know it wasn't easy for you to tell me the truth about you, and it wasn't fair to you that I wouldn't do the same."

He cleared his throat before he began. "You remember how I told you I lost my sight?" I nodded and told him yes before he continued. "That chemical did more than take away my sight. It enhanced all of my other senses. My hearing, my sense of touch, taste, it all increased to an extremely high degree. They were so sensitive to the point of it being painful to even hear the sound of footsteps. It was unbearable until I finally got control of it."

"Are your senses still sensitive?" I asked.

"Extremely." He replied. "It's just less painful now. They help me when I'm out at night. I can hear the cries of someone in distress clear across the other side of the city. I can hear people's heartbeats and how they change when they lie, or get scared, or excited. That's how I knew from the moment we met that you were lying about your name, and that you were scared."

_**Oh fuck, that means he definitely heard the things I was saying about him to Lucy when I was drunk. But that's not important right now, I'll just cross that bridge when I get there. **_

"And the fighting?" I asked.

"You remember when I told you I lived in an orphanage after my dad died?" He continued when I nodded. "Well not too long after dad died, I met this man. His name was Stick. He was blind. He taught me everything I know. How to control my abilities and use them to my advantage, how to fight. He helped me."

"What happened to him?" I asked, noticing the emptiness in his voice.

"He left. He abandoned me." His voice cracked. "I started getting attached, I saw him as a father figure. He said I was being weak. Emotions and attachments were signs of weakness to him. So I was alone _again._"

I reached for his hand, which made him eagerly grasp onto mine. "I'm so sorry, Matt."

He held up my hand to place a gentle kiss. "I continued training myself as I got older." He continued. "When I became a lawyer, I saw just how flawed and corrupt the justice system can be. I couldn't just let crimes go unpunished and not get any justice for the victims. I work for the law, but I decided to take it into my own hands."

"And Daredevil was born?" I interjected with a slight smirk.

"I didn't pick that name, but yeah." He replied with a chuckle. "So that's it. Now you know."

I reached for my water bottle as I processed everything. "Well...it certainly explains a lot. So I'm guessing part of the reason you disappeared from me for two weeks was because of the cuts and bruises you got from that night?"

He winced. "Part of it, yeah….."

"What?" I asked, starting to get annoyed again. "What else is there?"

Matt looked guilty as he hesitantly replied. "I had a concussion after all, and I passed out in my apartment-" He was cut off by the sudden splash of water in his face from my now half empty water bottle. "I deserved that."

"You're damn right you did." I growled. "I _knew _I should've checked your stupid, stubborn head!" I smacked his shoulder repeatedly. "Anything _else_? I know it takes around a week to recover from a concussion, but what about week two?"

Matt went silent. His jaw tightened and his sweet, stupid face was stuck in a deep frown. It felt like a minute before he replied. "I was...I was scared. I ran out on our date like an asshole without even thinking about how it would look, or how it would make you feel until it was too late. My mind was clouded with what we were doing, and then I heard someone being attacked, and I just left without a second thought. I didn't plan on you seeing me like that. I was gonna make my way to Claire's-"

"_Claire _knows?!"

"Shit." He muttered. "Yeah...I kinda fell into her care the same way I fell into yours. I had put her in harm's way just for helping me, I almost got her _killed_. You just got out of a horrible situation, I would never forgive myself if I put you in another one. So I tried to stay away and just make sure you were safe from a distance. I kept telling myself it was for the best, that you would be safer not being with me. But I realized that _I _was hurting you already. I didn't know how to face you after everything. But Iris, I lo-I _care _about you too much, and I want so much to be with you. I'm so sorry. I'm so, _so _sorry for doing this to you. I never meant to hurt you. I hate myself for keeping all this from you, but this is who I am. And it's okay if you hate me. I would understand completely."

I sat in silence, digesting everything Matt just told me. I looked at his beautiful face, he looked so drained and forlorn. Like he expected me to never want to see him again, to hate him.

"I don't hate you." I finally spoke.

Matt sharply turned to face me, his brown eyes widened. "You don't? Why not? I deserve it."

I grabbed his hand. "Matt, I faked my own death and changed my identity to get out of my abusive marriage. I'm the last person who should judge you for keeping a secret like this. I meant everything I said that night. You are a _good _man, and I support what you're doing; as long as you don't get yourself killed and take care of yourself."

Matt's body relaxed as he let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ir-"

He was cut off once again with a sudden splash of water in his face.

"But I'm still pissed at you for the disappearing act you pulled on me for _two weeks_!" I growled through gritted teeth as I hit him with the now empty water bottle Matt just sat there and took it. "I was so depressed, you made me insecure thinking that I drove you away! I was fucking miserable, you asshole!"

He quickly pulled me into his arms. "I know, I'm so sorry!" His voice cracked. "Iris, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. You're right, I _am _an asshole. I was so fucking stupid, and I will to whatever it takes for however long it takes to make it up to you, I swear to God."

I hugged him back tightly as tears ran down my cheeks. He rubbed my back and kissed my head while saying "I'm sorry" repeatedly. I lost track of how long we sat there in each other's arms, but we sat like that until my breathing slowed down and my tears finally ceased.

I pulled away slightly to look at him. "Who else knows? You said Claire knows, right?" He nodded. "So who else?"

He cleared his throat before replying. "Foggy…."

I noticed the hesitation as he trailed off. "And?"

He looked at me guiltily. "And Lucy."

"What_?!_" _**She knew this the whole time?! And she let me say all of that embarrassing shit that night knowing he was listening! **_"I'm gonna kill her."

"It's not her fault," Matt replied, trying to ease my anger. "I didn't even want her to know, but Foggy decided to tell her. I made her promise not to say anything."

I took deep breaths to calm myself. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. But I'm _still _mad at her. She is _so_ gonna hear it from me at work on Monday."

"I'm sorry Iris. I really didn't mean to cause you more pain." Matt spoke softly as he held my hand.

I looked at his sweet face once more. "I understand why you didn't wanna tell me, Matt. Your tactic was terrible though. It's just gonna take a while for me to forgive you for that."

Matt's eyes widened as if he was hit with an idea. "If you give me this one chance to do so, I think I know how to make it up to you."

"Okay, I'll bite. What do you have in mind?"

* * *

_The Next Day_

"I don't know about this, Matt. What if someone sees me?" I shifted nervously on my feet as I kept checking my surroundings.

Matt gently held me by my shoulders to face him. "Iris, I promise you, it's gonna be fine. I won't let anything happen to you. You just stay hidden behind the bushes, and I'll help you get inside when I know the coast is clear, okay?"

I let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Okay. I trust you. I don't know why I'm so scared, I feel silly."

Matt kisses my forehead. "Don't feel silly, it's okay to be safe. That's what I'm here for. I'm gonna go inside, wait for me to signal you."

He squeezed my hands before leaving me behind to enter the familiar building.

* * *

"Welcome to Amsterdam Nursing Home. How may I help you, sir?" The middle aged woman at the front desk greeted Matt as he entered.

Matt smiled, "Good afternoon. I'm here to visit Violet Williams, I called earlier."

"Oh yes, Mr. Murdock. Glad to see you've made it, I'm Jane." The kind woman smiled as she walked over to him. "I'll take you right over to Violet's room, she just finished her lunch. Would you like to hold my arm for assistance?"

"That won't be necessary, thank you though." Matt replied with his charming smile.

"I must say, it's so nice for Violet to finally have a visitor. Poor dear has been here a little over six months now and hasn't had a single person come to see her since. I just wish your visit was under better circumstances." She finished with a saddened frown.

"I know, I truly wish her daughter was here instead. I know she loved her mom very much." Matt replied, sticking to the lie he told.

"Did you know her well?" Jane asked.

"I did. We had been friends for a couple years before the...accident. I never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Williams, but Ir- uh _Lily_ talked about her so much, I feel like I know her already." Matt wanted to kick himself for almost slipping up.

Thankfully Jane didn't seem to notice. "Yes, I remember meeting Lily when she checked Violet in. Such a sweet girl. But very sad. I remember how sad she was when she left. I just can't believe she's gone."

The crack in the kind woman's voice made Matt feel a twinge of guilt for the deception.

"Did you tell Mrs. Williams?"

Jane nodded softly. "I did. She's been taking it really hard, the poor dear. She's just devastated. I hope your visit along with Lily's possessions will give her some comfort."

"I have a feeling it will help a little." Matt replied with a knowing smile.

They stopped in front of Violet's door. Jane gently knocked, causing a sweet and somber voice to call out. "Jane?"

Jane opened the door and ushered Matt into the room. "Hi, Violet." Jane greeted. "You have a visitor. This is Mr. Murdock; he was a friend of Lily's and he wanted to meet you."

"Oh yes, I remember you told me. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Murdock." Violet replied, holding her hand out in their direction.

"She has her hand in front of you, Mr. Murdock." Jane whispered helpfully.

"I'm pleased to meet you too, Mrs. Williams. And please, call me Matt." Matt smiled as he gently shook Violet's hand.

"Only if you call me Violet." She softly smiled in return. She then cocked her head in curiosity. "I don't mean to pry, but Jane told you where my hand was. Are you blind as well, Matt?"

"It's okay, Violet. And yes, I am." Matt replied with a light chuckle.

Violet faintly giggled in reply, "What a pair we make, huh?"

Jane cut in, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to go make my rounds. Will you be alright, Violet?"

"Oh yes, Jane, thank you. Take all the time you need. We'll be just fine."

"Okay, dear. Mr. Murdock, there's a chair and a table three steps to your right, make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a little bit to check in." Jane replied before exiting the room.

The moment Matt had been anticipating had finally come.

He listened for Jane and any other person's heartbeats near the door as well as the window to ensure that the coast was clear.

"Is everything alright, Matt? Jane told me you brought some of Lily's things to give to me." Poor Violet's voice cracked at mentioning her daughter's name.

Matt set down his cane and briefcase to kneel down in front of Violet in her wheelchair. "Violet, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm here because of Lily...but I'm not here to give you her possessions."

"I don't understand." Violet warily replied.

"Trust me." He simply said, patting her hand before stepping towards the window.

* * *

I knelt behind the lush bushes hearing the rapid, anxious beating of my heart. I could hear the muffled voices of my mom, Matt, and another person in the room.

There was silence.

Then the window opened.

My heart paused when Matt stuck his head out the window, smiling that beautiful smile down at me.

He held out his hand to me and whispered. "Come on, it's okay."

I eagerly grabbed his hand, and he helped pull me through the window to my mom's room.

I had to hold onto Matt's arm tightly to keep my knees from giving out at the first sight of my mom in six months. Still so beautiful, her face radiating sweetness, her bright blue eyes my own resembled; her shiny strawberry blonde hair that was once down to her shoulders was now in a cute, short pixie cut. She still looked so young; _too _young for a nursing home.

"Matt? What's going on?" Mom asked, her nervous voice snapping me out of my thoughts.

I let out a shaky breath, Matt rubbed my back in encouragement. I pulled away from him to slowly walk towards my mom. My mouth opened and the first words I could think of were to the song she used to always sing me to sleep.

"_Stars shining bright above you_" Mom let out a gasp, her eyes widened with tears.

"_Night breezes seem to whisper 'I love you'_" She shakily reached out her hand to me, which I quickly grabbed.

"_Birds singing in the sycamore tree_

_Dream a little dream of me_"

"Lily!" Mom cried out, smiling through her tears.

"Mommy!" I cried back as I dove into her arms, being mindful of her left side.

Mom held me as tight as she could, saying "My baby, my baby" over and over. She rubbed her hand up and down my back, her hand reached up to my head to run her fingers through my hair. She paused her motions when she noticed my much shorter length.

"Did you cut your hair, sweetie?" She asked.

"Yeah...I dyed it too. I needed to change my look." I took a deep breath for the hard truth. "I finally got away from him, Mommy. It just got so terrible." I held her hand that was now on my cheek. "But _we're _gonna be fine. God, you look so beautiful! I love your new haircut."

I ran my fingers through her short locks. She held my cheek, her thumb ran across my bottom lip, feeling the cut on my lip that's now healed into a scar.

Her eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Is he after you?"

I let out a sigh. "I don't think so. But I'm not sure. That's why we told them here that I was dead, so he couldn't find me."

"God, what did he do to you?" Mom started to cry. "What did he do to my baby?"

I wiped her tears, ignoring my own as I tried to console her. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter now, Mommy. I'm okay now. I'm far away from him and that awful place. I have my own apartment now. I have it decorated the way I want. I get to listen to the music I want. I got a job, I'm making my own money. I work in a bakery, so I can bake you all the sweets you want. I'm playing the piano again. I play with other musicians. I have _friends _now, Mommy. They're wonderful, you'll love them."

Mom smiled, tears still in her eyes. "So you're not alone anymore ?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not alone anymore. I get to start over. I'm happy. For the first time in a long time."

"And how about your friend, Mr. Murdock here?" She asked with a light smirk.

I blushed as I turned to look at Matt, who was standing against the wall smiling at us. "Matt's really special to me. He was the first friend I made here. We live next door to each other, so it's like he's always by my side. He makes me feel safe."

"Could you come here please, Matt?" Mom asked him.

"Of course, Violet." He walked over and knelt by her side next to me.

"This sweet, beautiful girl is the light of my life. So I must ask, what are your intentions with my daughter?" I let out a surprised laugh at her question.

Matt smiled sweetly and replied. "I intend to treat her like a Queen, like how she deserves to be treated. I will respect and cherish her. And I will protect her till my last breath."

"Will you make her happy?"

"Yes, I hope so. I will do my absolute best to make her the happiest woman in the world." He replied, reaching for my hand.

Mom turned to me with a grin. "I really like him."

I giggled. "I really like him too."

Mom laid a tender kiss on my forehead. "I am so proud of you, Lily. You are so strong. I know you probably don't think so, but you are. You were trapped with that monster Paul, but you never gave up. You protected me when I should have protected you. You saved yourself. You are so brave and so strong, _nobody _can take that away from you. Not Paul, not anyone. You've survived all this time, now you have the chance to _live. _Live and be happy, my sweet flower."

I struggled to control my tears as I replied. "I will, Mommy."

"Matt?" Mom turned to face Matt again.

"Yes, Violet?" He replied, his voice cracking.

Mom raised her hand to his face, he took off his sunglasses already sensing what she would do. Her fingers lightly traced the features of his sweet face as she spoke.

"Please be good to my baby girl. She's been through so much pain and fear because of that monster, I blame myself for not realizing sooner how bad he was for her. She's such a precious soul with so much love in her heart. Please don't break it."

"I won't break it, Violet. You have my word. Nothing's gonna harm her while I'm around. I swear on my father's soul that she will never go through that nightmare again." He replied with such conviction.

Mom kissed him on the cheek with a soft reply of "Thank you. Thank you for bringing my baby back to me."

She turned to me and said. "I _really_ really like him for you. And he's so handsome."

I let out a laugh seeing Matt blush at the compliment.

For the first time in years, my heart felt so full and happy. It was like a wonderful dream that I didn't want to wake up from.

After spending a couple hours catching up with Mom, and promising to visit again soon, Matt snuck me back out the window and we took the next cab home.

I laid my head comfortably on his chest with his arm wrapped around me, feeling absolutely relaxed and content.

"Thank you for today. It meant a lot to me."

"You're welcome, I'm happy to do it. I know how much you wanted and needed to see her." He replied softly, laying a kiss on my forehead. "I just want you to know, I didn't really do it to make you forgive me. I just really wanted to make you happy."

"I know." I replied with a faint smile as I closed my eyes to the sound of his comforting heartbeat. "But I forgive you anyway." His heart skipped a beat. "Just don't do anything that stupid to me again."

His arm tightened slightly around me. "Never again, I promise. I shouldn't have done it to begin with. I'll never forgive myself for hurting you like that-"

"Shhh." I cut him off and whispered for only his ears. "Enough with the self loathing, Mr. Superhero."

Matt gave a light chuckle. "I'm not a superhero."

"You are to me."

* * *

**Annnnnnnnd that's it! Iris and Matt now know the whole truth about each other and everything is okay. I got teary writing the reunion between Iris and Violet, not gonna lie. I hope you guys liked it and I'll do my best to get chapter 13 out a lot sooner. School's closed for at least 2 weeks now so I have plenty of free time to work on it. The next chapter is gonna be a little bit of a time jump to Iris's birthday, and things will really be picking up after that. Thanks to all who are reading this story of mine! Please be sure to leave a comment, I love reading your thoughts on the chapter, and subscribe to stay updated on the upcoming chapters. Well that's all for now, until next time...*kiss noise***


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